Unconventional venous access techniques

For patients dependent on permanent venous catheters for survival, the progressive loss of venous access sites should prompt a systematic approach to alternative sites and techniques to maximize patient survival and minimize complications. Interventional radiologists should be familiar with the appropriate use of both conventional and unconventional types of venous access and their associated risks. This article discusses the use of venous access sites available as alternatives to occluded internal jugular veins, including the subclavian veins, the femoral veins, the inferior vena cava, and the hepatic veins. In addition, unconventional techniques for venous access are reviewed, including recannulization of occluded neck and chest veins, catheterization of small thyrocervical veins, and sharp recannulization of occluded central veins.