MALFUNCTIONING PERITONEAL-DIALYSIS CATHETER REPAIRED BY LAPAROSCOPIC SURGERY

Objectives: To review peritoneal dialysis catheter failures and to des cribe a technique of repairing malpositioned catheters. Design: Two pr ospective case reports utilizing this technique are reported. Setting: A tertiary care hospital. Patients: Two patients on chronic peritonea l dialysis with malfunctioning catheters. Intervention: Both patients underwent reposition of their malpositioned continuous ambulatory peri toneal dialysis catheters by laparoscopic suture technique. Main Outco me Measures: Outcome was measured by the successful return of adequate peritoneal dialysis. Results: Both case studies show correction of ma lpositioned catheters with the return of successful peritoneal dialysi s. Conclusion: The repositioning and suture application of malposition ed Tenckhoff catheters by laparoscopic surgery is a viable technique t hat can salvage the majority of malpositioned catheters and save the p atients additional hospital time and recovery.