Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty is safe and feasible for reinsertion of tunneled cuffed catheters in the right internal jugular vein

Abstract This study explores the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTA) for reinserting tunneled cuffed catheters (TCC) with a Dacron sheath in the right internal jugular vein (RIJV) in hemodialysis patients with a history of prior RIJV catheterization and subsequent stenosis or occlusion of the RIJV, right innominate vein, and superior vena cava. Clinical data from 21 hemodialysis patients with dysfunctional vascular access who underwent PTA for reinsertion of TCC in the RIJVs from July 2020 to June 2023 at the First and Second Affiliated Hospitals of Bengbu Medical College were retrospectively analyzed. Clinical efficacy during hospitalization, postoperative TCC blood flow, and related complications during follow-up were observed. The procedure was successful in all 21 patients, with postoperative TCC blood flow meeting daily hemodialysis requirements. Only one case experienced acute bleeding with contrast agent extravasation at the intersection of the left and right innominate veins during sharp recanalization. No severe complications, such as arrhythmias, vascular rupture, pneumothorax, mediastinal hematoma, or pericardial tamponade, occurred during the procedures. Upon discharge, all patients exhibited satisfactory TCC blood flow (247.14 ± 11.46 ml/min). Postoperatively, TCC blood flow ranged between 200 and 260 ml/min, meeting the demands of regular hemodialysis. For patients with a history of repeated TCC or non-tunneled catheter (NTC) placement in the RIJV, reinserting TCC in the RIJVs through PTA is a safe and reliable technique. It effectively utilizes vascular resources and prevents vascular resource depletion associated with changing the venous catheter placement location.