Transesophageal echocardiography assisted retrieval of embolized inferior vena cava stent

Abstract

A 32-year-old male with Budd-Chiari syndrome and stenosis of the inferior vena cava presented to the hospital with severe abdominal pain. Two contiguous, 14 mm, overlapping (joined) Palmaz stents were placed across the area of stenosis in the inferior vena cava. The stents later embolized to the left pulmonary artery and were retrieved non-surgically over a Grollman balloon catheter with transesophageal echocardiographic assistance. This case report highlights the advantages and limitations of transesophageal echocardiographic assistance in such a procedure.