The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 43, 229-230, Copyright © 1987 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Nonoperative removal of entrapped thoracic intracardiac monitoring catheters: a new bedside technique
JP Gold and AR Castaneda
Flexible guidewires introduced into transthoracic intracardiac monitoring
catheters can release entrapped areas of acute angulation caused by fascial
closure sutures. This technique has been successfully applied to adult and
pediatric patients with various sized guidewires and catheters, thus
obviating the need for surgical removal of the entrapped monitoring
catheters. Because entrapment with subsequent fracture of these monitoring
catheters represents the most common complication of their use, lessening
of this risk supports their continued widespread implementation.