Cutdowns for totally implantable access ports to central veins.

For insertion of totally implantable access ports, with the catheter end in the superior vena cava, the percutaneous (Seldinger) technique is commonly used. Of cutdowns, the cephalic vein cutdown is the most popular one (success rate about 80%), followed by the external jugular vein cutdown. Our preliminary experience suggests that internal jugular vein and basilic vein cutdowns have the anatomic features to prove both of them superior to the cephalic vein cutdown.