User's Manual

Pump implantation
66
Catheter placement
The Catheter is not designed to be tunneled subcutaneously. The Catheter inser-
tion should be at the extreme edges of the Pump pocket.
At a site not directly beneath the Pump, the layers of abdominal musculature are
divided to expose the peritoneum. Concentric purse string sutures are placed and
the peritoneum is exposed with a 1 cm incision. The distal tip of the Catheter is
placed in the peritoneal space. The flange of the Catheter is sutured firmly to the
fascia of the abdominal musculature. Sutures should only be placed on the rein-
forced flange of the Catheter. Sutures must not be placed directly on the Catheter
itself.
Never trim or cut the tip of the Catheter.
The implant site should be irrigated with an antibiotic solution. Interrupted
absorbable sutures should be used to approximate the subcutaneous tissues and
the skin closed with a running subcuticular absorbable suture. The wound is
dressed using standard surgical technique. At the end of the surgery, place an
abdominal binder over the implant site. This binder must be worn until the cap-
sule has formed (about 1 month.) The binder is recommended because it will
obtain a better cosmetic result and minimize the post operative swelling.
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WARNING