Radiographic External Measurement Technique for TIVAP Placement

Totally implantable venous access ports (TIVAPs) are commonly used in patients who need long-term intravenous treatment such as chemotherapy, parenteral nutrition, or repeated blood sampling. Correct placement of the catheter tip is important to reduce the risk of complications, including arrhythmia, thrombosis, catheter dysfunction, vessel injury, and infection.

Several methods are used to determine catheter tip position during port placement, including fluoroscopy, echocardiography, and chest X-ray. However, some of these methods may require additional equipment, increase procedure time, or may not be available in all hospitals.

This study aims to evaluate a simple chest X-ray-based external measurement method to estimate the appropriate catheter length before TIVAP placement. In this method, anatomical landmarks identified on a recent chest X-ray are used to calculate the expected catheter length, which is then applied during the procedure.

The main goal of the study is to assess how accurately this method places the catheter tip in the desired anatomical position. Secondary goals include evaluating the rate of optimal tip placement, procedure-related complications, and the relationship between predicted and actual catheter tip positions.

If successful, this method may provide a practical, low-cost, and widely applicable technique to improve TIVAP placement in routine clinical practice.