OBJECTIVE: We report the development of a new peritoneal dialysis catheter. The purpose of the current study was to evaluate tissue response to this catheter. DESIGN: In our catheter design, the catheter's cuffs are made from sintered titanium fiber mesh instead of the common Dacron material. The catheters were implanted in goats. During the study period, the catheter exit sites were observed once every 2 weeks. After 14 weeks, the catheters and surrounding tissues were processed for histology and analyzed. RESULTS: We observed that catheters with titanium cuffs performed significantly better, compared with a commercial catheter design. Histology showed that titanium fibers evoked a lesser inflammatory response compared with Dacron fibers. In addition, the capsule surrounding the titanium cuff was significantly thinner. CONCLUSIONS: Supported by the obtained results, we conclude that the use of Dacron velour for anchorage of percutaneous catheters has to be reconsidered. Titanium fiber mesh has a great potential for application in percutaneous catheters.

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