Noninfectious complications due to vascular access ports (VAPs) in Yucatan minipigs (Sus scrofa domestica).

Vascular access ports (VAPs) for studies requiring intermittent or continuous infusion and frequent sampling are well accepted and widely used in large animal species. However, the use of medical devices such as VAPs to facilitate sample collection can lead to complications. Noninfectious complications of VAP implantation can result from thrombotic or mechanical obstructions, other mechanical problems, and animal-associated complications. To facilitate our research, we surgically implanted VAPs in the right external jugular vein of 6 adult male and 3 female Yucatan miniswine (age, 12 mo) to enable collection of blood samples every 30 min for 8 h and then every 8 h for as long as 60 d. The VAPs were operational an average of 35.6 d (range, 29 to 56 d) and had an overall success rate of 77.8% with 7 of 9 VAPs functional. In these 7 animals, 53.1 samples on average (range, 28 to 95 samples) were collected from each VAP. Rates of noninfectious complications were 60% for thrombotic events and 40% for nonthrombotic events over the course of this study.