Purpose Platelet counts \50/nl are often considered a
contraindication for surgical and interventional radiology
procedures. Yet, there are patients requiring totally
implantable venous access ports (TIVAP) in whom nor-
malization of the coagulation state is not feasible. This
retrospective study evaluates the safety of interventional
radiological TIVAP implantation in patients with severe
thrombocytopenia.
Materials and Methods From 12/2010 to 12/2014, a total
1200 consecutive radiological TIVAP implantations were
performed and retrospectively analyzed. Among those 181
patients had platelet counts (PC) below the reference value
of 150–350 thrombocytes/nl: 55 patients with mild (PC:
100–150/nl), 58 patients with moderate (PC: 50–100/nl)
and 68 patients with severe thrombocytopenia (PC\50/nl).
All patients diagnosed with severe thrombocytopenia
received platelet concentrates before or during the proce-
dure according to a fixed preparation protocol. All patients
were assessed at least 2 weeks before and up to 12 months
after intervention. Outcome parameters were recorded with
a particular focus on bleeding complications. Data were
statistically analyzed with a p value \0.05 considered
statistically significant.

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• Port Implantation in Patients with Severe Thrombocytopenia is Safe with Interventional Radiology