Central Venous Access Catheters (CVAC): Mediports, Tunnel Lines & Dialysis Catheters
A CVAC is a tube that is inserted beneath your skin into a vein to create a pain-free way for doctors or nurses to draw blood, administer medication or provide nutrients. More than 3.4 million CVACs are placed each year, and doctors increasingly recommend their use. There are several types of CVACs, including tunneled catheters (Hickman or Broviac), peripherally inserted central catheters (also called PICC lines or long lines), dialysis catheters, and implantable ports.
Doctors often recommend CVACs for patients who regularly have:
- Chemotherapy treatments
- Infusions of antibiotics or other medications
- Nutritional supplements
Am I a good candidate?
Most patients requiring long term infusion therapy are candidates for Venous Access Catheter placement.
What should I Expect?
This procedure can be done in an outpatient setting. The procedure normally takes 30 minutes or less to complete
Consult with your treating physician on the benefits of Venous Access Catheters.
When you have a CVAC, you are spared the discomfort of repeated needlesticks. This procedure enables the safer administration of medications versus through a small peripheral IV.