Fracture and migration into the coronary sinus of a totally implantable catheter introduced via the right internal jugular vein

A case of percutaneous retrieval of a catheter without a free end that was fractured during a totally implantable venous access port removal

Totally implantable venous access ports (TIVAPs) are widely used for chemotherapy and other purposes in patients with cancer. Their convenience and safety make them ideal for long-term use. However, sometimes there are cases in which TIVAPs remain in the vessel following the completion of long-term chemotherapy and are difficult to remove due to the adhesion of the catheter to the vessel wall. In this study, we encountered a case in which a TIVAP catheter adhering to a blood vessel was fractured during removal and the catheter left in the vessel could not be retrieved by a snare because it had no free end. Finally, the catheter was successfully removed using a peel-away sheath. No complications or residual catheters were associated with the removal procedure.

A fragmented segment of a central venous catheter caused delayed ventricular fibrillation: a case report

BACKGROUND

Central venous port systems may be safely used for chemotherapy of patients with cancer, but several complications may occur associated with their use.

CASE PRESENTATION

An 83-year-old man with heat stroke was transferred to our emergency department, where he was treated and became able to eat on the same day. He had been fit and healthy, except for colorectomy and chemotherapy using a central venous access port placed in the right upper jugular vein 8 years ago. The next day, he suddenly had ventricular fibrillation. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation was successful. Emergency coronary angiography showed a catheter-like foreign body in the coronary sinus. Physicians failed to remove the foreign body using catheter therapy, and ventricular fibrillation occurred repeatedly. After induction of general anesthesia, the fractured catheter was removed surgically. Postoperative course was uneventful.

CONCLUSIONS

A fragmented segment of a catheter may suddenly cause ventricular fibrillation years later.

Successful recovery of central venous catheter fragment from coronary venous sinus and right ventricle: A case report

Catheter fracture with subsequent embolization is a well known but a potentially serious late complication of central venous catheter placement. Central venous catheters are frequently implanted for the purpose of chemotherapy and parenteral nutrition. Most common vein used for the placement of central venous catheter is subclavian vein. According to case reports, catheter placed in subclavian vein is vulnerable for fracture and is often preceded by the "pinch-off sign", first described by Aikten and Minton. It is due to shearing forces between the clavicle and first rib. Broken catheter frequently embolises to Right atrium, Right Ventricle, Inferior vena cava, Pulmonary arteries and rarely into Coronary sinus. Migration to Coronary sinus is very uncommon and only 5 cases are reported in the literature as of now. We are presenting an unusual case where chemoport catheter severed and lodged partly in coronary venous sinus and partly in right ventricle taking a "U "shape. Fragment was successfully retrieved percutaneously using a snare after straightening it with a pigtail catheter. Though majority of patients deny symptoms however, some do have symptoms or complications. Catheter fragment can lead to arrhythmias, thrombosis, infection and perforation. Thrombosis of coronary sinus is a life threatening complication. Regular follow up with Chest x ray may recognize the fracture and embolization much earlier. In almost all cases the migrated portion can be retrieved safely percutaneously without recourse to surgery.

Shanghai expert consensus on totally implantable access ports 2019

Totally implantable access ports (TIAPs) are used for patients with poor peripheral vascular support requiring central venous access. In recent years, TIAPs have been gradually accepted and promoted by patients, doctors, and nurses owing to their advantages of convenient carrying, a long maintenance period, low complications, and a high quality of life for patients. Currently, medical personnel that handle TIAP implantation and management in China are from different areas of healthcare, including surgery, internal medicine, radiology, nurse anesthesia, vascular access, etc., and many only handle TIAP as a part of their duties. Therefore, the operating procedures and steps for the diagnosis and treatment of complications of TIAP vary from person to person, resulting in different incidence and treatment methods for complications in the implantation and use of TIAP in different medical units. Based on this, we have updated the Shanghai expert consensus on TIAPs from 2015 and explored the diagnosis and treatment procedures of related complications while continuing to emphasize standardized implantation and maintenance.

Fracture of the Port Catheter and Migration Into the Coronary Sinus: Case Report and Brief Review of the Literature

Introduction:

Totally implantable venous device has a good safety profile, although certain complications may occur. Late mechanical complications include catheter fracture and cardiac migration which are rarely occurring in approximately 0.1% to 1% of patients.

Case presentation:

A 33-year-old woman referred by the surgical oncologist for port catheter fragment extraction through endovascular approach. She was asymptomatic on presentation and has a history of hypertension and smoking. Chest X-ray showed a port catheter fragment previously thought to be in the right atrium at the level of 8-9 thoracic vertebrae (right heart catheterization showed that the port catheter fragment was in the coronary sinus). Angiography of the right outflow tract indicates that the fragment was not in the outflow tract or pulmonary arteries but posterior to it. It was concluded that the port catheter fragment had migrated deep into the coronary sinus and the snare was unable to pull the fragment. It was deemed unfeasible to remove the fragment through the endovascular approach.

Discussion:

The port catheter fracture had migrated entirely into the coronary sinus and to the deep of our knowledge; this was the fourth case reported in the current literature. We tried to do a review of previous similar case reports; interestingly, this was the only case where the fragmented catheter was situated deep within the coronary sinus without any part of the fragment projected to the right atrium. This made the retrieval of the fragment much more difficult with a high chance of failure.

Conclusions:

Migration of totally implantable venous device into coronary sinus is a rare but possible complication and might be difficult to remove if the position is unfavorable.

CARE PROTOCOL WITH TOTALY IMPLANTED VENOUS CATHETER: A COLLECTIVE CONSTRUCTION

ABSTRACT Objective: to collectively construct a fully implanted central venous catheter care protocol with nurses from a highly complex oncology center. Method: a convergent care research, conducted at a hospital qualified as a highly complex oncology care unit in Minas Gerais, Brazil, from September 2017 to January 2018. The construction of the protocol was guided by Evidence Based Practice. Initially, data was collected from client records. After that, five workshops were held with the nurses, aiming to verify the material and human resources available, besides the viable care to compose the protocol. The analysis involved processes of apprehension, synthesis, theorization and transference. Results: most of the 219 medical records evaluated from clients with fully implanted venous catheters were female (77.1%), with a mean age 49.6 years old, breast cancer, and average catheter stay of 502 days. The nurses participating in the research were female, with a mean age 30.2 years old, time since graduation of 5.2 years and experience in oncology of 4.8 years on average. During the workshops, the participants reflected on the daily routine of the service, with a theoretical and scientific basis, which allowed, considering the professionals' opinion, to verify the care evidences and the practicability of the practices in the study scenario for the construction of a protocol. Care emerged related to puncture, manipulation, salinization and catheter clearance. Conclusion: the protocol construction process involved the participation of all oncology nurses, and all the mentioned care has scientific evidence for its use.

Cateteres venosos totalmente implantáveis: histórico, técnica de implante e complicações

O acesso ao sistema venoso, seja para coleta de amostras de sangue ou para infusão de soluções, é de vital importância para o diagnóstico e tratamento de pacientes com as mais variadas condições clínicas. Desde que Harvey, em 1616, descreveu o sistema circulatório a partir de estudos em animais e que Sir Christopher Wren, 4 décadas depois, realizou a primeira infusão endovenosa em seres vivos, a evolução na técnica de acesso e nos dispositivos para infusão tem sido constante. Merece destaque a criação dos cateteres de longa duração na década de 1970, em especial os totalmente implantáveis, que revolucionaram o tratamento do câncer, aumentando a segurança e o conforto dos pacientes oncológicos. Este artigo tem como objetivo a revisão de dados históricos relativos ao acesso vascular e a discussão da técnica de implante e das principais complicações associadas ao procedimento de colocação e ao uso dos cateteres totalmente implantáveis.