title: The retrieval of the diagnostic catheter which broke and embolised twice.
abstract: We are presenting a nightmare case of successful retrieval of the broken distal tip of a multipurpose catheter which embolised into the left pulmonary artery (LPA) during atrial septal defect device closure. During the course of snaring it initially slipped once in the LPA and subsequently while snaring it into the delivery sheath it slipped again in the inferior vena cava and yet again embolised into the LPA!! Subsequent attempt was successful but the distal fragment itself broke into two parts while being pulled inside the delivery sheath. Luckily the fragments did not embolise again as they were stuck at the tip of the sheath. The distal fragments were pulled out en masse along with the delivery sheath maintaining negative pressure at the side port of the delivery sheath using a 20 mL syringe. The final outcome was successful and the patient was unharmed by this potentially grave complication.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiology, Sri Jayadeva Institute of Cardiovascular Science, Bangalore, Karnataka, India.
authors.forename: I B
authors.initials: IB
authors.lastname: Vijayalakshmi
authors.forename: Navin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Agrawal
authors.forename: Kavya
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Mallikarjun
authors.forename: C N
authors.initials: CN
authors.lastname: Manjunath
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D020878:Device Removal / Q000009:adverse effects; D004868:Equipment Failure; D005260:Female; D005548:Foreign-Body Migration / Q000209:etiology*; D006344:Heart Septal Defects, Atrial / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D011651:Pulmonary Artery; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000209:etiology*; D055989:Septal Occluder Device / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014682:Vena Cava, Inferior