Percutaneous Retrieval of a Pulmonary Artery Catheter Knot in Pacing Electrodes

Transvenous Retrieval of a Pulmonary Artery Catheter Knot Around Pacing Leads: A Case Report

BACKGROUND

Pulmonary Artery Catheter (PAC) knotting is a rare complication of PAC insertion. In patients with dilated right heart chambers, blind insertion of PAC significantly increases the risk of catheter knotting. We demonstrate a safe and successful approach to resolving a PAC knot around pacing leads of a cardiac resynchronization device.

CASE PRESENTATION

A 63-year-old African American male with dilated cardiomyopathy and a cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) device for severe left ventricular systolic dysfunction required PAC insertion for hemodynamic management of acute heart failure. PAC insertion was complicated by catheter knotting around the pacing leads. The PAC was successfully retrieved using a transvenous technique.

CONCLUSION

Fluoroscopy-guided insertion of PAC is advisable and preferred over blind insertion in patients with high risk of PAC entanglement.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE

To highlight a potential complication of blind pulmonary artery catheter insertion and provide a safe technique to resolve catheter knots.

Pulmonary Artery Catheter Knotted in the Tricuspid Valve Apparatus Requiring Surgery With Cardiopulmonary Bypass: A Case Report

Placement of a pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) is associated with complications such as entrapment or knotting. PAC entrapment in the heart, vena cava, or pulmonary artery is serious, potentially life-threatening, particularly if they are unrecognized. We present a patient with a PAC knot after aortic valve replacement. Interventional radiology (IR) determined that the catheter may have lodged in the tricuspid valve. Surgical exploration requiring cardiopulmonary bypass revealed that the PAC had passed through the tricuspid valve orifice and knotted itself around the anterior leaflet chordal structure. The catheter was unknotted, with the patient subsequently recovering without long-term sequelae.

Inadvertent Removal of a Right Ventricular Pacemaker Lead by a Knotted Transvenous Pacing Wire

We report an unusual complication of permanent pacemaker (PPM) implantation in a patient with a temporary transvenous pacemaker (TVP) in situ, in which the TVP lead formed a knot around the newly-placed right ventricular (RV) lead, complicating TVP removal. The case underscores the fact that suboptimal TVP lead placement, such as looping in the RV, can result in complications during implantation of a permanent pacemaker.

Successful percutaneous retrieval of unusually knotted temporary pacemaker lead

Implantation of temporary pacemaker lead is commonly performed procedure and is usually safe, but can sometimes develop rare and serious complication like intracardiac lead knotting which may require challenging retrieval techniques. We report a case of successful percutaneous retrieval of unusually knotted right internal jugular venous temporary pacing lead via left femoral transvenous approach using snare over a long sheath after cutting the electrode proximally and thus avoiding any surgical intervention.

Interventional Removal of Knotted Pulmonary Artery Catheter: A Case Report

A 60-year-old female patient underwent emergency cadaveric liver transplantation. During the insertion of the pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) through the left innominate vein, advancement of the catheter was not successful and a knot occurred. An interventional radiologist performed antegrade rigid wire insertion into the PAC and succeeded in loosening the knot in the vessel. We report the successful removal of a knot through intervention without additional invasive procedures in a hemodynamically unstable patient with a coagulopathy.

Percutaneous Retrieval of a Knotted Provisional Pacemaker Using Proximal Electrode Cut off and Distal End Snaring

Although provisional pacemaker implantation can safely be done in many cases, a rare complication such as knotted electrode has been described, especially when the procedure is performed without fluoroscopy guidance. We describe a case of knot creation in a provisional pacemaker which was successfully retrieved using a snare after cutting the electrode proximally.

Complications Associated with Pulmonary Artery Catheters: A Comprehensive Clinical Review

Care for the critically ill patient requires maintenance of adequate tissue perfusion/oxygenation. Continuous hemodynamic monitoring is frequently utilized to achieve these objectives. Pulmonary artery catheters (PAC) allow measurement of hemodynamic variables that cannot be measured reliably or continuously by less invasive means. Inherent to every medical intervention are risks associated with that intervention. This review categorizes complications associated with the PAC into four broad groups — Complications of central venous access; complications related to PAC insertion and manipulation; complications associated with short- or long-term presence of the PAC in the cardiovascular system; and errors resulting from incorrect interpretation/use of PAC-derived data. We will discuss each of these four broad categories, followed by in-depth descriptions of the most common and most serious individual complications.