Estudio comparativo entre catéteres peritoneales autoposicionantes y catéteres Tenckhoff en referencia a su desplazamiento intraperitoneal

the advances made in the field of accesses in peritoneal dialysis raise questions that require discernment and a possible solution. one of the most common causes of mechanical problems is omental entrapment or constipation. other factors that can affect correct functioning of a peritoneal dialysis catheter is the existence of adhesions and/or hernias in the abdominal area. in our peritoneal dialysis unit, self-locating and non-self-locating (tenckhoff) catheters are used, and therefore we decided to carry out a study to compare the differences in their operating life. our aim was to compare the differences concerning complications due to displacement and incorrect positioning between the two types of catheter, and also to evaluate whether obesity, prior abdominal surgery and the time the catheter is in place are variable that affect correct functioning of the catheters. the sample studied comprised patients who are currently active on the peritoneal dialysis programme in our unit. a total of 35 patients were studied. 60% had a self-locating catheter and 40% a tenckhoff catheter. 37.4% of the patients had undergone abdominal and/or pelvic surgery. only 28.57% were obese (with a body mass index > 30) with an average weight of 72.8±18.9 kg. the catheters were implanted using open surgery, local anaesthetic and sedation and therefore in on an ambulatory basis. random numerical correlation was used for the choice of catheter. the tenckhoff catheter is a silicon tube with multiple distal orifices and which can have a straight or threaded tip. it also has a dacron cuff to prevent infections of the orifice. the self-locating catheter has the same form as a tenckhoff catheter but with a modification. at the distal tip it has an increased diameter of two centimetres, which is the result of adding a 12-gramme weight made of a biocompatible material (tungsten) to favour the positioning of the catheter always in the lower part of the peritoneal cavity, avoiding malfunction due t