Varicose veins of lower extremities represent a common medical condition with minimally invasive percutaneous endovenous ablation techniques as a treatment of choice. A very rare complication is a catheter migration in the deep venous system. In the literature only 7 cases have been published so far, with only 2 cases with migration to the systemic circulation and heart involvement. In this paper we present an interesting case report from the perspective of a thoracic surgeon with the finding of a laser ablation catheter remnant in the left pleural cavity during thoracoscopic exploration for a spontaneous hemothorax in a 47-year old male patient after collapse. A similar complication affecting the pleural cavity has not been published before. In this paper we discuss possible routes of the cathether migration into the left pleural cavity, impending complications when a part of the catheter is left behind in the body and the means of prevention of these serious potentially fatal complications even after many years following the initial treatment.
Fatal haemorrhage from varicose veins: is the correct advice being given?