First report of a pigtail catheter to drain ascites associated with OHSS

Muataz Al-Ramahi1,3, Arthur Leader2, Paul Claman2 and Jay Spence2

1 Division of Reproductive Medicine,Department of OB/GYN, Jordan University Hospital, Amman, Jordan 2 Division of Reproductive Medicine,Department of OB/GYN, Ottawa Hospital-Civic Campus, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada

3 To whom correspondence should be addressed at:Dept of Obstetrics and Gynecology,Jordan University Hospital, PO Box 35295, Amman 11180. E-mail: muataz{at}hotmail.com

Dear Sir,

We read with interest the paper by Abuzaid et al. (2003)Go, who claim in their discussion to be the first to describe the use of a pigtail catheter for the drainage of ascites associated with ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS). Our paper, referenced by Abuzaid et al., however, was the first to describe the use of a pigtail catheter for the management of OHSS (Al-Ramahi et al., 1997Go). Apparently, Abuzaid et al. are unfamiliar with peritoneal drainage catheters, as they did not recognize that the closed system Dawson–Mueller drainage catheter described in our paper is one of many types of pigtail catheters available on the market. This closed system Dawson–Mueller pigtail catheter has been used in both dialysis and cancer patients for the treatment of ascites. Furthermore, pigtail catheters have also been used for draining pleural effusions. We chose the Dawson–Mueller model in our report because its particular shape and multiple drainage holes are associated with a very low incidence of catheter obstruction and/or displacement. We hope that Abuzaid’s paper will increase the popularity of the pigtail catheter for the treatment of ascites associated with OHSS, as its use improves patient care and reduces suffering. However, we would appreciate being recognized as the first group to report the use of a pigtail catheter in the management of OHSS.

References

Abuzaid, M.I., Nassar, Z., Massaad, Z., Weiss, M., Ashraf, M. and Fakih, M. (2003) Pigtail catheter for the treatment of ascites associated with ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Hum. Reprod., 18, 370–373.[Abstract/Free Full Text]

Al-Ramahi, M., Leader, A., Claman, P. and Spence, J. (1997) A novel approach to the treatment of ascites associated with ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome. Hum. Reprod., 12, 2614–2616.[Abstract]





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