Case Report: A sailor's knot in the heart: percutaneous retrieval of a knotted temporary pacing lead

TL;DR

A rare case of a knotted temporary heart pacing catheter was safely removed using a percutaneous method in a high-risk patient.

Contribution

A novel percutaneous technique for retrieving a knotted pacing lead in patients with high surgical risk is described.

Findings

A temporary pacing catheter formed a knot near the venous introducer in a patient with atrial fibrillation and valve disease.

A stepwise percutaneous approach successfully retrieved the knotted catheter without surgery.

The method involved loop engagement, externalization through a femoral sheath, and extraction with a dilator sheath.

Abstract

Temporary transvenous pacing in patients with permanent atrial fibrillation and significant tricuspid valve disease is technically challenging, especially in the absence of fluoroscopic guidance. Catheter looping and knot formation are rare but potentially hazardous complications.

An 82-year-old woman with permanent atrial fibrillation and severe mitral and tricuspid valve regurgitation presented with complete atrioventricular block and a ventricular escape rhythm at 28 bpm. A temporary transvenous pacing catheter inserted via the right internal jugular vein failed to achieve consistent ventricular capture and became entrapped at 45 cm, forming a knot near the venous introducer. Given the patient's frailty and high surgical risk, a multidisciplinary team opted for a fully percutaneous strategy for removal. After definitive pacemaker implantation, the knotted catheter was successfully retrieved using a stepwise approach: engagement of the loop with a deflectable ablation catheter, externalization through a femoral sheath, and extraction using a 13-F dilator sheath to minimize venous trauma.

This case highlights procedural pitfalls during emergency temporary pacing without fluoroscopy and illustrates a safe, creative percutaneous solution for knot retrieval using tools familiar to electrophysiology and lead extraction operators.

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