Pigtail through snare technique: an easy and fast way to retrieve a catheter fragment with inaccessible ends

BackgroundA catheter fragment with inaccessible ends can be retrieved using the well-known two-step method: making a free end with a pigtail catheter and seizing it with a snare catheter. Here we propose an easier and faster modification, named the pigtail through snare technique.Case presentationA 61-year-old female patient underwent removal of a central venous catheter fragment migrating to the right atrium. Both ends located in the right atrial appendage and left hepatic vein were inaccessible. Initially, a snare loop was opened in the inferior vena cava and a pigtail catheter was advanced through the snare loop to hook the catheter fragment. The free end was created by pulling the pigtail catheter, dragged automatically into the snare loop, grasped, and retrieved immediately.ConclusionsBy passing the pigtail catheter through the snare loop in advance, the snaring maneuver becomes easy and fast in retrieving the catheter fragment with inaccessible ends.

Automated summary

A method named the pigtail through snare technique was proposed to retrieve a catheter fragment with inaccessible ends. By passing the pigtail catheter through the snare loop in advance, the snaring maneuver becomes easy and fast in retrieving the catheter fragment.