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Case Reports
. 2024 Jul 17:40:25.
doi: 10.5758/vsi.240037.

Surgical Removal of a Long-Forgotten, Retained Intravascular Foreign Body: A Case Report and Literature Review

Dimitrios A Chatzelas  1 , Apostolos G Pitoulias  1 , Georgios V Tsamourlidis  1 , Theodosia N Zampaka  1 , Vasiliki-Elisavet P Stratinaki  1 , Ioanna I Kiose  1 , Anastasios G Potouridis  1 , Maria D Tachtsi  1 , Georgios A Pitoulias  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Surgical Removal of a Long-Forgotten, Retained Intravascular Foreign Body: A Case Report and Literature Review

Dimitrios A Chatzelas et al. Vasc Specialist Int. .

Abstract

Intravascular foreign body embolization is a potential complication of any vascular operation. Placement of a central venous catheter (CVC) is a common procedure, especially during surgery, hemodialysis, or in critically ill patients. The complete loss of the introducing guidewire into the circulation is a rare complication, with the majority of cases identified immediately or shortly after the procedure. We report an unusual case of an 82-year-old male with a misplaced CVC guidewire, extending from the right common femoral vein (CFV) to the superior vena cava, that was found incidentally 2 years after internal jugular vein cannulation during colorectal surgery. The patient was asymptomatic at the time, without any signs of deep vein thrombosis or post-thrombotic syndrome. Surgical extraction of the guidewire was successfully performed, under local anesthesia, through venotomy of the right CFV. Proper education and advanced awareness are advised in order to minimize the risk of this avoidable complication.

Keywords: Central venous catheterization; Delayed diagnosis; Foreign bodies; Surgery.

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Conflict of interest statement

CONFLICTS OF INTEREST

The author has nothing to disclose.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Retained intravascular foreign body (guidewire): X-ray imaging (left) and surgical specimen after open retrieval (right).
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
Computed tomography image of the retained intravascular guidewire, extending from the right common femoral vein to the superior vena cava.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Intra-operative step-by-step open removal of the guidewire through venotomy of the right common femoral vein.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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