Case report: central venous catheterization via internal jugular vein with associated formation of perioperative venous thrombosis during surgery in the prone position

An unusual case of central venous catheter (CVC)-related thrombosis during supine surgery in the prone position is presented. A 76-year-old woman was scheduled for elective surgery to repair a broken lumbar instrument. A single-lumen CVC was inserted via the right internal jugular vein. Surgery was performed in the prone position, with the patient's face directed downward in the standard median position (i.e., no rotation), but with slight forward flexion at the neck. After the surgery, the external jugular vein was dilated, and a postoperative X-ray revealed an infiltrative shadow in the right thoracic cavity. Because cervical echography showed dilated cervical veins with a moyamoya-type echo, possibly indicating a thrombus, contrast-enhanced computed tomography was performed, revealing a venous thrombus in the right internal jugular vein. An internal jugular venous-velocity measurement suggested that her slightly flexed neck position and her prone position during surgery may have kinked the internal jugular vein, causing engorgement with venous blood. The presence of the internal jugular venous catheter may have created thrombogenic conditions. A patient's position during surgery can reduce deep venous-flow velocity, and venous blood may stagnate, contributing greatly to thrombogenicity. We should consider a patient's position during surgery as a risk factor for thrombus formation, and a careful preoperative evaluation should be made as to which route should be chosen for CVC.