# Successful hemodialysis catheter placement into a stenosed femoral vein using balloon dilation for central venous access

## TL;DR

A patient with long-term dialysis needed a new catheter in a narrowed vein, and balloon dilation successfully enabled catheter placement.

## Contribution

Demonstrates successful use of balloon dilation to place a hemodialysis catheter in a stenosed femoral vein.

## Key findings

- Balloon dilation enabled catheter placement in a stenosed femoral vein.
- Computed tomography identified stenosis in the right external iliac vein.
- Balloon dilation is effective for vascular stenosis before catheter implantation.

## Abstract

A 67-year-old woman with end-stage renal failure due to immunoglobulin A nephropathy had undergone hemodialysis for 20 years. The patient was dependent on catheterized dialysis and underwent 13 central venous catheter changes. A GlidePath catheter (Bard Medical, Georgia, USA) was placed in the right femoral vein and removed because of infection. There was no alternative but to implant the central venous catheter at the same site. Computed tomography revealed stenosis of the right external iliac vein. Therefore, balloon dilation with a Mustang balloon (5.0 mm) (Boston Scientific, Marlborough, Massachusetts, USA) was performed before central venous catheter implantation. The number of patients undergoing dialysis who require vascular access catheters is expected to increase because of the aging population and extended duration of dialysis treatments. Balloon dilation prior to catheter placement is effective in patients with vascular stenosis.