What is a Central Venous Access Catheter or CVAC?
A. A CVAC is a tube that is inserted beneath your skin so there is a simple, pain-free way for doctors or nurses to give you nutrients, or to draw your blood. When you have a CVAC, you are spared the irritation and discomfort of repeated needle injections. Doctors recommend CVACs for patients who regularly undergo dialysis or chemotherapy treatments, or for patients who frequently receive antibiotic or antifungal infusions or nutritional supplements. More than 3.4 million CVACs are placed each year, and doctors increasingly recommend their use. There are several types of CVACs, including tunneled catheters (you may hear them called Hickman or Broviac catheters), peripherally-inserted central catheters (sometimes called PICC lines or long lines), dialysis catheters and implantable ports. Your doctor can explain which one is best for you.
