Surgical Removal of a Knotted Intravascular Pulmonary Artery Catheter

Nonsurgical removal of a knotted pulmonary artery catheter.

Though controversy exists regarding the utility of pulmonary artery catheters (PAC), their use persists in select patients. Knotting of these catheters upon insertion is a rare but serious complication. We present 2 cases of coagulopathic patients undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation complicated by PAC knotting on attempted line placement. Both knotted PAC were successfully removed nonsu...

Percutaneous removal of a knotted pulmonary artery catheter using a tracheostomy dilator

STATEMENT OF FINDINGS: This case report describes removal of a knotted, subclavian, pulmonary artery catheter using a tracheostomy dilator. With this simple method an invasive procedure might be averted.

Occurrence and removal of a knotted pulmonary artery catheter: a case report.

The challenge of treating older, obese patients with various comorbidities has become a mainstay of anesthetic practice. In order to monitor and provide anesthesia safely, the nurse anesthetist must weigh the risks and benefits of all types of monitoring when these patients undergo major invasive procedures. One such option is the Swan-Ganz pulmonary artery catheter. During the last decade an e...

Successful non-surgical extraction of a knotted pulmonary artery catheter trapped in the right ventricle.

A patient is presented in whom a pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) formed a knot which was fixed in the region of the tricuspid valve chordea. The PAC was successfully and nonsurgically freed from its attachment and removed. A guide wire was introduced by the distal port of the PAC and under fluoroscopy the PAC was manipulated free and then extracted easily.

Removal of a knotted Swan-Ganz catheter.