Retrieval of fractured dialysis catheter through phlebotomy of internal jugular vein: a case report

A central venous catheter is the most common access for initiating hemodialysis. Prolonged access through a central venous catheter increases the risk of infection and dysfunction of the catheter with potential development of catheter-induced thrombosis and embolism. However, fracture and dislodgement of the catheter with subsequent embolization is an unexpected complication. Endovascular treatment is a promising method to remove intravascular foreign bodies. We herein report a case of a 58-year-old woman undergoing prolonged hemodialysis who required central venous catheter removal because of mechanical fracture of the tunneled cuffed catheter and its migration in the internal jugular vein. An urgent chest X-ray showed that the two free ends of the fractured tunneled cuffed catheter were located in the right atrium and right internal jugular vein. Phlebotomy of the internal jugular vein was successfully performed to retrieve the fractured tunneled cuffed catheter and the associated thrombi. In this case, phlebotomy for retrieval of the embolized catheter fragment extending into the right atrium was a safe alternative to an endovascular technique of catheter fragment retrieval. Phlebotomy preserved the integrity of the catheter fragment and its associated thrombus and was both cost-effective and safe.