The internal mammary vein: an alternate route for central venous access with an implantable port.

Central venous catheterization in pediatric patients has, among other risks, flebitis and thrombosis, and finally occlusion of the superior and inferior venae cavae, making long-term catheterization and multiple venous cutdown more difficult. Use of the internal mammary vein might be an alternative procedure to provide sure and easy access to the central venous circulation. The authors report on a patient with multiple venous cutdown and thrombosis of the inferior vena cava, in whom the internal mammary vein was used for placement of a vascular device. The procedure is technically easy, and no special positioning of the patient is required.