Entrapment of a Swan Ganz catheter in an IVC filter requiring caval exploration. A case report

The placement of Swan Ganz (SW) catheters and inferior vena cava (IVC) filters are common procedures performed in critically ill patients. Many reports describe the independent misplacement of SG catheters and IVC filters, and others have reported migration of IVC filters and entanglement of various intravascular devices in IVC filter. Our patient is a 70-year-old Caucasian woman who underwent an aortic valve replacement and coronary artery bypass grafting. The patient developed a deep venous thrombosis and an infrarenal IVC filter was placed without incident. A Swan Ganz catheter was placed later in the postoperative period and became entangled in the IVC filter. We advised operative removal after several unsuccessful percutaneous attempts to retrieve the catheter. IVC filters are indicated for prevention of fatal pulmonary emboli in patients with a contraindication to anticoagulants or with recurrent embolism despite adequate anticoagulant therapy. Complications of IVC filters include caval thrombosis, retroperitoneal hemorrhage and perforation of the IVC, hepatic veins, duodenum and aorta. We describe our evaluation and operative approach and make recommendations for prevention of entangling the SG into the IVC filter.