Why do subcutaneous ports get stuck?

Hi, I'm Ellen at Cincinnati Children's and here's an article you should know about. In this study, the authors wanted to find out why some ports get stuck and are difficult to remove. So, they did a prospective case control study at their institution between 2014 and 2017. They looked at 57 stuck ports and 171 controls. They found a few differences between the two groups, including that stuck ports were associated with the diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia and with a longer duration of port placement. On univariate analysis, they also found an association between stuck ports and subclavian access, and polyurethane catheters. So, if you need to remove a port and these factors are present, it may be a good idea to keep them in mind and have the endovascular team available as backup. Let us know what you think and stay tuned for more articles you should know about.