Childhood Cancer

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Childhood Brain and Spinal Cord Tumors

Choosing not to use a catheter

Many doctors automatically schedule surgery for catheter implantation as soon as a child is diagnosed with a brain or spinal cord tumor. A few, however, do not recommend using implanted catheters in their pediatric patients. If your child’s doctor recommends not using one, ask the reason why and and discuss it thoroughly if you are uncomfortable with the options presented.

Stephan (6 years old) has no catheter. Sometimes I wish he had one. It seems like it would be easier. We were told he didn’t need it. He is running out of usable veins and it is getting harder and harder.

Some children and teens prefer IVs to an implanted catheter.

My son had a port for a very short time, and due to frequent fevers (with no evidence of infection) and because he had a blood clot form in his heart, they pulled the port. He had IVs for the remainder of treatment and was much happier with the IVs than with what he called “that foreign object in my chest.”

To help you make the best decision for your particular situation, the table below outlines the pros and cons for each type of catheter. There is no right or wrong choice; different options are available because each child, each parent, and each family is unique.

Things to Consider External Catheter Subcutaneous Port Peripherally Inserted Central Catheter
Infection rate Higher Lower Higher
Maintenance Daily Monthly Daily
Body image Changes: tube outside body Changes: small lump under skin Changes: tube outside body
Pain Dressing changes Needle poke to access (use EMLA®); dressing changes when accessed Needle poke to insert the line; dressing changes
Anxiety Low to high Low to high Low to high
Cost • Insertion cost: moderate
• Maintenance cost: high		 • Insertion cost: highest
• Maintenance cost: low		 • Insertion cost: lowest
• Maintenance cost: high
Risk of drugs leaking into tissues Lowest Low Low
CostMaking a decision

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