Clinical outcomes of totally implantable venous access port placement via the axillary vein in patients with head and neck malignancy

Purpose:To evaluate the clinical outcomes and complications of totally implantable venous access port implantation via the axillary vein in patients with head and neck malignancy.Materials and methods:A total of 176 totally implantable venous access ports were placed via the axillary vein in 171 patients with head and neck malignancy between May 2012 and June 2015. The patients included 133 men and 38 women, and the mean age was 58.8 years (range: 19–84 years). Medical records were retrospectively reviewed.Results:This study included a total of 93,237 totally implantable venous access port catheter-days (median 478 catheter-days, range: 13–1380 catheter-days). Of the 176 implanted totally implantable venous access port, complications developed in nine cases (5.1%), with the overall incidence of 0.097 events/1000 catheter-days. The complications were three central line-associated blood-stream infection cases, one case of keloid scar at the needling access site, and five cases of central vein stenosis or th...