A modified internal jugular vein access for long-term catheter placement in cancer patients.

Background: Placement, handling, and maintenance of indwelling central venous access devices may be difficult due to anatomical, clinical, or hematologic conditions in many cancer patients needing chemotherapy. An alternative approach technique is suggested joining surgical dissection to venipuncture, assisted by fluoroscopy, as a secure way to avoid complications of long-term indwelling catheters. Although ultrasound guided puncture is a safe procedure, it is not always available or familiar to most surgeons.

Methods: At the National Cancer Institute (INCA) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, 1750 long-term catheter placements were performed between the years 1997 and 2005. Among those, 160 were done through an alternative technical procedure consisting of an anterior cervical cutdown approach to the internal jugular vein (IJV) followed by percutaneous visual puncture of the vein. This modified internal jugular vein access (MIJVA) was employed when other access techniques were not feasible or if other underlying conditions increase the risk of bleeding complications.

Results: The MIJVA procedure was successful in all 160 patients. Although it was used only as an exceptional option in difficult venous accesses, further prospective trials must be conducted, however, for comparison with other technical approaches.

Conclusion: The MIJVA is an option that provides successful IJV dissection and safe percutaneous visual puncture overcoming anatomical pitfalls in placement of long-term venous access for chemotherapy in cancer patients.