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Percutaneous untying of a knot in a retained Swan-Ganz catheter
W A Bhatti1, S Sinha, P Rowlands
1Department of Radiology, Royal Liverpool University Hospital, Prescot Street, Liverpool L7, UK.
Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology
|May 24, 2000
Insights
A knotted Swan-Ganz catheter was successfully removed using minimally invasive techniques. This novel approach with a gooseneck snare and angioplasty balloon prevented patient trauma.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Medical Devices
- Minimally Invasive Procedures
Background:
- Swan-Ganz catheters are critical for hemodynamic monitoring in critically ill patients.
- Catheter knotting presents a significant challenge during removal, potentially leading to complications.
- Conventional removal methods may be insufficient for tightly knotted catheters.
Observation:
- A patient presented with a severely knotted Swan-Ganz catheter.
- Standard removal techniques failed to dislodge the knotted catheter.
- The knotting posed a risk of vascular injury during attempted extraction.
Findings:
- A minimally invasive technique was developed for knotted catheter removal.
- The procedure utilized an Amplatz gooseneck snare and an angioplasty balloon.
- Successful, atraumatic removal of the knotted Swan-Ganz catheter was achieved.
Implications:
- This technique offers a safe and effective alternative for managing knotted Swan-Ganz catheters.
- Minimally invasive device removal can prevent serious complications associated with difficult extractions.
- The described method expands interventional cardiology tools for complex device retrieval.
Abstract:
A patient was referred to us with a tightly knotted Swan-Ganz catheter. The catheter could not be removed by conventional simple methods. We describe a minimally invasive means of removal of the catheter using an Amplatz gooseneck snare and an angioplasty balloon. This allowed the catheter to be removed without trauma.