Tale of Retained Catheter Fragment after Endovenous Laser Ablation – A Case Report and Literature Review

Varicose veins affect a significant number of the population. Thermal ablation of varicose veins remains an evidence-based recommendation. This is a relatively safe procedure with few complications. The procedure involving the insertion of a catheter and delivering a high degree of heat makes it prone to special complications due to the device. Although theoretically possible, the report of such device-related complications is surprisingly scarce with few cases reported so far in literature. Hereby, we report a case of a broken catheter in the great saphenous vein which was detected following the natural expulsion of catheter fragment in the thigh fortunately without any dangerous complications. We also review literature related to medical sciences and biomedical engineering to find the possible reasons for such complications.