CASE PRESENTATION: A 57-year-old man presented to our orthopedic outpatient department with 3-months history of an unusual painful swelling at the operated area following DFO. The leakage of joint fluid from the penetrated suprapatellar pouch was assumed to be the reason for this complication.

METHODS: Between November 2005 and November 2006, the technique was applied in 18 patients (6 female, 12 male; median age 50 years, range 16 - 73 years) on continuous ambulatory peritoneal dialysis with catheter malfunction secondary to omental wrap. Pneumoperitoneum was induced under general anesthesia. Three ports were inserted. The catheter was released from the omentum and repositioned in the pelvis. The omentum was then folded onto itself in a cephalad direction using silk sutures. This shortened the omentum. The risk of catheter migration was minimized with a polypropylene sling passed through the abdominal wall and around the catheter, then knotted subcutaneously. The sling allowed catheter removal without a new laparoscopy. The outcomes were prospectively evaluated.

RESULTS: Median operating time was 90 minutes (range 35 - 160 minutes). Adhesiolysis was performed in 4 patients: 1 patient had port-site leakage of dialysate, which settled with abdominal rest; 1 patient had bleeding during adhesiolysis and laparoscopic hemostasis was successful; 1 patient had recurrent catheter obstruction 2 weeks post-operatively and was converted to hemodialysis; and 1 patient had recurrent malfunction secondary to small bowel wrap after 5.5 months; re-salvage was successful. The success rate of the first salvage procedure was 89%(16/18). The catheters were still functioning after a mean follow-up of 16.5 +/- 6.3 months (range 0.5 - 24 months). The 1-year catheter survival rate was 83.3%.