The application of looping technique by using a gooseneck snare and a loach guide wire in retrieving foreign bodies within the vascular or ureteral duct

Objective: To investigate the feasibility and application scope of the looping technique by using a gooseneck snare and a loach guide wire in retrieving tubular foreign bodies within the vascular or ureteral duct. Methods: During the period from July 2009 to Dec. 2013, six patients with ruptured catheter were admitted to authors' hospital. All six patients were females. Three patients had internal ruptured peripherally inserted central venous catheter (PICC), one patient had ruptured implantable venous access port catheter and two patients had replacement of double 'J' ureteral catheter stent. By using looping technique, i.e. a loach guide wire and a gooseneck snare were separately placed at the two ends of the tubular foreign body, then the gooseneck snare entangled the soft leading end of the loach guide wire to form a annular structure to seize the ruptured tubular catheter and then to pull it out of the body. Results: With the help of the looping technique, the internal ruptured catheter or the double 'J' ureteral catheter was successfully removed in all the six patients. Conclusion: For the retrieval of the tubular foreign bodies within the vascular or ureteral duct, the looping technique by using a gooseneck snare and a loach guide wire is an effective and fast treatment. Therefore, this technique should be recommended in the clinical practice. (authors)