Association between BMI and the success rate of transaxillary venous port implantation: a retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Background Fully implantable infusion ports are widely used for long-term chemotherapy in cancer patients. Previous studies have only focused on the analysis of complications associated with infusion port implantation, ignoring the causes of unsuccessful infusion port implantation. The purpose of this study was to investigate the association between BMI and the success rate of transaxillary intravenous port implantation in breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods To review 361 breast cancer patients who underwent intravenous port implantation from January 2021 to September 2021. Baseline data, surgical data, and complications were collected from the patients, and the success rate of puncture of the axillary vein was recorded. The logistic regression analysis and smoothed curve fitting were used to assess the relationship between body mass index (BMI) and the success rate of axillary venipuncture. In addition, subgroup analyses were performed to explore potential interactions. Results Under ultrasound guidance, 67.3% of patients (243/361) had an infusion port implanted by axillary vein puncture. There was a roughly linear relationship between BMI and the success rate of axillary venipuncture. In the multiple regression equation, BMI was significantly and negatively associated with the success rate of axillary venipuncture (OR = 0.83; 95%CI = 0.77–0.89; P＜0.001). Stratified analysis showed that the relationship between BMI and the success rate of axillary venipuncture was stable and unaffected by other variables. Conclusions The higher the patient's BMI, the higher the chance of difficult axillary venipuncture or failed cannulation.