Wound Dehiscence or Failure to Heal following Venous Access Port Placement in Patients Receiving Bevacizumab Therapy

Abstract

To determine the incidence of wound dehiscence or failure to heal after port placement in patients receiving bevacizumab therapy. A hypothesis was tested that the mean interval between bevacizumab administration and port placement was shorter in patients who had dehiscence than in those who did not. Medical records of all patients who had venous access ports placed from July 2006 through December 2007 were retrospectively reviewed. A total of 195 ports were placed in 189 patients (106 men) who were treated with bevacizumab within 120 days of port placement. The incidence of wound dehiscence and the significance of dose timing relative to port placement in these patients were calculated. Six of 195 ports (3.1%) were associated with wound dehiscence requiring port removal. The mean interval between bevacizumab dosing and port placement in patients without dehiscence (n = 189) was 16.9 days. The mean interval in patients with dehiscence (n = 6) was 10.8 days. A two-tailed Wilcoxon test was performed, which yielded a P value of .0150. A statistically significant difference in the mean interval between bevacizumab dosing and port placement exists between patients with dehiscence and those without. Wound dehiscence after port placement was related to timing of bevacizumab therapy. Patients receiving bevacizumab within 10 days of port placement had a higher incidence of wound dehiscence.