What Knot to Do: Retrieval of a Kinked and Trapped Coronary Catheter

Mother-daughter technique for kinked catheter retrieval from radial artery

Catheter kinking is not an uncommon scenario during cardiac catheterization via transradial access in patients with tortuous vascular anatomy. Several noninvasive and invasive methods have been described to unkink and retrieve the kinked catheter out of the vessel. We present a novel mother-daughter technique to retrieve a kinked radial artery catheter.

Novel Method for Restitution of a Torqued and Entrapped Kinked 7F Catheter in the Ascending Aorta

Knotting and kinking of diagnostic coronary artery catheters are potentially catastrophic complications though their occurrence is uncommon. However, abrupt kinking of 7F guide catheters in the ascending aorta becomes a quirky puzzle. This case emphasizes the importance of avoiding kinking and provides recommendations for catheter retrieval in the unlikely event of this complication. To the best of our knowledge, the technique used in our case has not been described before.

Untangling a Knotted Angiographic Catheter Using a Balloon Catheter: A Case Report

When a 66-year-old man with hepatocellular carcinoma underwent an angiographic examination, a 4-Fr catheter was inserted from the right femoral artery. It became tightly knotted in the descending aorta. To untangle the knotted catheter, a noncompliant balloon catheter was delivered into the knotted loop from the contralateral femoral artery. After the balloon catheter was inflated from the inside of the knotted loop, the knot became loose. Finally, the knotted catheter was untangled. Subsequently, the remainder of the examination was performed as initially planned.