What am I looking at?
Visual recognition
Silicone catheter with a subcutaneous cuff and a valved end that connects to a vacuum drainage bottle (PleurX/Aspira).
12-09
Tunneled pleural/peritoneal drain
Tunneled home drainage catheter
Three-panel learning framework
Recognition, context, and distinction
What does it do, and where will I see it?
Use & procedural context
Provides durable, intermittent outpatient drainage of recurrent pleural or peritoneal fluid through a cuffed subcutaneously tunneled catheter. Typical contexts include recurrent malignant pleural effusion and refractory malignant ascites.
What most clearly distinguishes it from similar devices?
Key distinctions
The subcutaneous tunnel, cuff, and valved external end distinguish this catheter from temporary percutaneous drains and support repeated outpatient drainage of recurrent fluid.