Retrieval of "old" foreign bodies from the cardiovascular system in children

• Published in: Catheterization and cardiovascular diagnosis 1998-06, Vol.44 (2), p.212-216
• Main Authors: Farrell, Anne G., Parikh, Sanjay R., Darragh, Robert K., Girod, Donald A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adolescent; Biological and medical sciences; catheter; Catheters, Indwelling - adverse effects; Child, Preschool; Diseases of the cardiovascular system; Echocardiography; Female; Foreign Bodies - complications; Foreign Bodies - diagnosis; Foreign Bodies - surgery; foreign body; guide wire; Heart Atria; Heart Diseases - diagnosis; Heart Diseases - etiology; Heart Diseases - surgery; Humans; Infant; Medical sciences; Pulmonary Artery; Pulmonary Embolism - diagnosis; Pulmonary Embolism - etiology; Pulmonary Embolism - surgery; Radiotherapy. Instrumental treatment. Physiotherapy. Reeducation. Rehabilitation, orthophony, crenotherapy. Diet therapy and various other treatments (general aspects); removal; Tomography, X-Ray Computed
• ISSN: 0098-6569; 1097-0304
• DOI: 10.1002/(SICI)1097-0304(199806)44:2<212::AID-CCD17>3.0.CO;2-O

Several techniques have been developed to retrieve catheter and guide wire fragments that have embolized to the heart and pulmonary vasculature. In most instances, retrieval of the embolized fragments is performed soon after the event has occurred. In this report, we summarize our experience with the removal of these fragments in 3 children after a significant amount of time had elapsed since the time of embolization. The embolized catheter and guide wire fragments were removed without any complications. We also describe the techniques used for their removal, and the problems encountered during the removal of these “old” foreign bodies. Cathet. Cardiovasc. Diagn. 44:212–216, 1998. © 1998 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.