Successful nonsurgical removal of a knotted and entrapped pulmonary artery catheter.

Knotting of a balloon-tipped, flow-directed catheter leading to difficulty in its removal is a rare but serious complication. Several methods have been used to remove such catheters with nonsurgical techniques. A case of knotted catheter that was also entrapped in a surgical suture in a patient undergoing emergency mitral valve replacement is presented and a method for its nonsurgical removal is described.