Journal List > Korean Circ J > v.17(1) > 1072325

Cho, Park, Cho, Chung, Shim, and Lee: Nonsurgical Percutaneous Retrieval of Catheter Emboli from the Heart

Abstract

The increasing use of intravenous polyethylene catheters has led to a growing incidence of accidental catheter breakage and migration of fragments into the central vascular system usually in the inferior vena cave, the right atrium, of the pulmonary artery. The most common complications were formation of a thrombus in the area of the foreign body, infection with endocarditis, and perforation of the heart. And so obviously the polyethylene catheter must be removed.
In 1967, Massumi and Ross et al have been successful in removing a catheter fragment from the right atrum percutaneously with a snare device. With some modification as suggested by Curry, method of retrieving fragments of polyethylene catheters from the heart without chest surgery utilize wire snares or endoscopic forceps.
This report describe the technique and its use in successfully managing these complications in four consecutive cases.

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