Radiological approach to central venous catheters: Cost analysis

In recent years, use of central venous access catheters has dramatically in creased. In the past, placement of these catheters has been within the doma in of the surgeon. However, the recent trend is for the radiologist to beco me the primary role player in placement and management of these catheters. To justify this current trend, it is important to analyze the potential dif ferences in cost of catheter placement, efficacy, and complications of radi ological approach to central venous access in comparison with the surgical approach. This article summarizes various studies on these issues including two studies at the author's institution that compared the initial cost of radiological placement of long-term tunneled hemodialysis catheters and che st ports with the costs associated with surgical placement.