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Permanent access to the portal system for cellular transplantation using an implantable port device
Author(s) -
Darwish Ahmed A.,
Sokal Etienne,
Stephenne Xavier,
Najimi Mustapha,
de Goyet Jean de Ville,
Reding Raymond
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
liver transplantation
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.814
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1527-6473
pISSN - 1527-6465
DOI - 10.1002/lt.20228
Subject(s) - medicine , portal vein , port (circuit theory) , liver transplantation , catheter , context (archaeology) , transplantation , surgery , paleontology , electrical engineering , engineering , biology
A novel application of the implantable Port‐a‐Cath (PAC) system is described in the context of cellular transplantation. A silicone catheter was inserted in a collateral branch of the portal vein and connected to a port device positioned subcutaneously on the left thoracic cage. This permanent vascular access allowed iterative intraportal infusions of allogenic hepatocytes without the need of repeated transhepatic catheterization of the portal vein. Using this technique, repeated infusions of cryopreserved and / or fresh hepatocytes were successfully carried out in 3 children with inborn errors of liver metabolism, with the aim of progressively providing a sufficient mass of transplanted liver cells to stabilize the metabolic condition of the patients. We suggest that this technique might also be valuable in pancreatic islet cell transplantation. (Liver Transpl 2004;10:1213–1215.)