ENTRAPMENT OF J-TIP GUIDEWIRES BY VENATECH AND STAINLESS-STEEL GREENFIELD VENA-CAVA FILTERS DURING CENTRAL VENOUS CATHETER PLACEMENT - PERCUTANEOUS MANAGEMENT IN 4 PATIENTS

We present four patients in whom bedside placement of a central venous catheter was complicated by entrapment of a J-tip guidewire by a prev iously placed vena cava (VC) filter. Two Venatech filters were fragmen ted and displaced into the superior VC or brachiocephalic vein during attempted withdrawal of the entrapped wire. Two stainless-steel Greenf ield filters remained in place and intact. Fluoroscopically guided ext raction of both wires entrapped by Greenfield filters was successfully performed in the angiography suite.