Radiological approach to central venous catheters: Cost analysis

In recent years, use of central venous access catheters has dramatically increased. In the past, placement of these catheters has been within the domain of the surgeon. However, the recent trend is for the radiologist to become the primary role player in placement and management of these catheters. To justify this current trend, it is important to analyze the potential differences in cost of catheter placement, efficacy, and complications of radiological 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 chest ports with the costs associated with surgical placement.