Swan neck presternal ("bath tub") catheter for peritoneal dialysis.

We hypothesize that the swan neck catheter for peritoneal dialysis with exit in the presternal area will have better exit site healing and a decreased incidence of exit site infection than currently used peritoneal dialysis catheters with the exit located on the abdomen. The chest is a very stable structure, with minimal wall motion, especially of the upper chest and over the sternum. Hence, a catheter exit located on the chest will be subjected to only minimal movement. Decreased piston like movement of the catheter at the exit site reduces inward transfer of outer microbial flora. Moreover, a tight garment is usually not worn on the chest and there is less pressure on the exit. Based on this rationale a new catheter (swan neck presternal) has been designed. The presternal peritoneal dialysis catheter is composed of two flexible (silicon rubber) tubes joined through a titanium connector at the time of implantation. The device has been dubbed as a "bath tube" catheter because, with the exit on the chest, a patient may take a tub bath without the risk of exit contamination due to submersion. Two such catheters were implanted in two patients. One patient had multiple problems (including chronic exit site infection) with a previously implanted swan neck Missouri 2 catheter, the other patient was originally rejected as a peritoneal dialysis candidate due to extreme obesity. Both catheters healed well in 6 weeks and the exits have not become infected during the first 8 months. These preliminary experiences with 2 catheters support the rationale of their design.