COMPARISON OF STRAIGHT AND CURLED TENCKHOFF PERITONEAL-DIALYSIS CATHETERS IMPLANTED BY PERCUTANEOUS TECHNIQUE - A PROSPECTIVE RANDOMIZED STUDY

Objective: To examine the impact of peritoneal dialysis catheter confi guration, curled or straight catheter, on catheter survival and mechan ical and infectious complications. Design: Prospective randomized tria l. Setting: Department of Nephrology of a single university hospital. Patients: Seventy-two consecutive patients initiating peritoneal dialy sis were randomized to receive either a single cuff straight catheter or a single cuff curled catheter, implanted by percutaneous technique. Results: Significantly higher (p < 0.01) survival rate of the curled as compared to the straight catheter. The difference in catheter survi val was due to a significantly higher (p < 0.01) incidence of drainage failure associated with catheter tip migration of the straight cathet er than of the curled catheter. No difference in infectious complicati on between the two types of catheters was seen. Catheter survival at 1 2 months was 77% for the curled catheter and 36% for the straight cath eter. Conclusion: This study demonstrates superiority of the curled Te nckhoff peritoneal dialysis catheter survival as compared to the strai ght catheter. This difference in catheter survival is due to the highe r displacement rate of the straight catheter.