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Percutaneous retrieval of central venous catheter fragments
R E Andrews1, R M R Tulloh, M L Rigby
1Department of Congenital Heart Disease, Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK.
Insights
Central venous catheter fragments can embolize in children. Percutaneous transcatheter retrieval offers a safe and effective treatment option for these pediatric patients, avoiding surgery.
Area of Science:
- Pediatric Interventional Radiology
- Vascular Access Management
Background:
- Indwelling central venous catheters in children pose a risk of fragment embolization.
- Underlying medical conditions often preclude surgical removal in these pediatric patients.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the efficacy and safety of percutaneous transcatheter retrieval for embolized central venous catheter fragments in children.
- To present an alternative to surgical intervention for this complication.
Main Methods:
- Retrospective review of six pediatric cases undergoing percutaneous transcatheter retrieval of embolized catheter fragments.
- One case of percutaneous line tip repositioning is also described.
Main Results:
- All six cases of catheter fragment retrieval were performed without complication.
- The percutaneous line tip repositioning was also successful.
Conclusions:
- Percutaneous transcatheter retrieval is a safe and effective treatment for embolized central venous catheter fragments in children.
- This minimally invasive approach should be considered the primary treatment option.
Abstract:
Children with indwelling central venous catheters are at risk of embolisation of catheter fragments. Often their underlying condition means that they are poor candidates for surgical removal. We describe six children who underwent uncomplicated percutaneous transcatheter retrieval (and one who underwent percutaneous line tip repositioning), and suggest that this approach should be the treatment of choice.