Entrapment of pulmonary artery catheter in superior vena caval cannulation site during cardiac surgery

Abstract

A pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) is a useful tool for monitor haemodynamics during cardiac surgery in patients with compromised ventricular function and helps in the perioperative patient management. During open heart surgery entrapment of a Swan-Ganz catheter to an intracardiac structure is rare but may lead to potentially life-threatening complications. Here, we report a case of an entrapped pulmonary artery catheter by accidental surgical suturing at the entry point of Superior vena cava into right atrium that necessitated reopening the chest and removing the catheter.