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According to a study published in the Journal of the American College of Surgeons, routine postoperative chest x-ray is unnecessary after Fluoroscopic-Guided Subclavian Central Venous Port Placement.

The study was conducted by Jon R. Brown and colleagues of the Michigan State University College of Human Medicine, Lansing.

Pneumothorax (PNX) and malposition of the catheter are the two major complications that can occur following Subclavian Central Venous Port Placement and chest x-ray (CXR) is taken to screen for these two complications.

The researchers conducted a retrospective review of 205 patients underwent elective SCVP placement. Although 4 patients (2%) sustained a PNX, none was identified by routine post procedure CXR. Post procedure clinical symptoms (3 to 72 hours later) prompted repeat CXR, which identified the PNX. Five patients (2.4%) had catheter malposition recognized by intraoperative fluoroscopy and corrected intraoperatively. No malpositioned catheters were identified on postprocedure CXR.

They concluded that, incidence of PNX after SCVP placement was low, and PNX was not detected by intraoperative fluoroscopy or by routine postprocedure CXR. Hence the practice of routine postprocedure CXR after SCVP placement is not necessary and should be replaced with diagnostic chest radiography only if symptoms develop.

Source: Journal of the American College of Surgeons