Spontaneous Catheter Migration of Implantable Vascular Access Device-Two Case Reports and Review of the Literature

The implantable vascular access device (IVAD), sometimes called the ”implantable infusion port”, is usually used for drawing blood samples, administering drugs, and supplying fluids or nutrition. Some of the complications that cause malfunctioning of the device have been reported. We describe herein two unusual cases with a spontaneous catheter migration of the IVAD. In the first case, the initial port malfunctioning was followed by a total occlusion and an inability to infuse. In the second case, the port malfunctioned, and only sometimes was not in a full-running mode during infusion. A migration of the central venous catheter can lead to vascular, neurologic, or infectious complications. Although some authors have reported non-operative methods to correct the positioning of the displaced central venous catheter, it is difficult to re-position the catheter of an IVAD, which is implanted completely subcutaneously. Removal and replacement are usually necessary in these cases.