One-Port Laparoscopic Technique for Placement of Tenckhoff Peritoneal Dialysis Catheters: Report of Seventy-Nine Procedures

Abstract

Laparoscopic techniques for placement of peritoneal dialysis catheters are becoming increasingly popular. In this paper, we report the results of one-port laparoscopic placement of Tenckhoff catheters in 79 patients in our center. Videoscopic monitoring was performed via a port inserted in the left upper quadrant and the catheter was placed via a pull-apart sheath through an incision near the umbilicus. The tip and the deep cuff of the catheter were placed into the true pelvis (on the urinary bladder) and into the rectus sheath respectively. A subcutaneous tunnel was created and a point midway on the umbilico-crestal line was selected as the exit site of the catheter. Catheters were capped for 2 weeks before initiation of peritoneal dialysis. Mean duration of the operation was 25 minutes. Four patients died during the follow-up period, all due to other medical problems, and 4 patients underwent renal transplantation. During a 48-month follow-up, catheter-related complications were catheter migration (1.3%; month 1), dialysate leakage (1.3%; month 1), portsite hernia (3.8%; after 6 months), exit-site infection (2.5%; months 1 and 9), and bacterial peritonitis (2.5%; after 6 months). Catheter survival was 97.2% in our series. We obtained a low complication rate and a high catheter survival rate with this one-port laparoscopic technique.