The surgical pursuit and removal of a metallic foreign body from the systemic venous circulation

Newton’s Law to the Rescue: Therapeutic Effects of Gravity Aiding the Management of a Migratory Venous Foreign Body—A Case Report

“…In our case, it was possible to use the effect of gravity, enabling the foreign body to move in a direction opposite to the direction of venous flow. Effects of gravity leading to unexpected migration have been reported previously by Davey and Parker et al, 2,5 but using this as a therapeutic intervention has not been reported before. This is an important factor in the management of such patients and the radiologists and the surgeons need to be aware of this possible beneficial effect.…”

“…Intravascular foreign bodies have been reported in the literature since the early 1950s, with the vast majority being iatrogenic in origin. 1,2 Traumatic foreign bodies are less common and are predominantly secondary to gunshot injuries. With advancements in endovascular techniques and instrumentation, the majority of intra-arterial and intravenous foreign bodies are successfully retrieved percutaneously.…”

A foreign body in the cephalic vein

“…[ 8 – 11 ] The common types of these FB are needles, [ 5 ] intravenous cannulas, [ 4 ] guidewires, [ 12 ] stents, [ 13 ] inferior vena cava filter struts, [ 14 ] and other objects (see Table 1 ). [ 6 , 7 , 15 , 16 , 17 – 19 ] However, being a rare pathogenic factor, the more unconventional non-iatrogenic FB often requires more extensive treatment and diagnosis.…”

“…[ 8 ] In a previous report, surgeons were inclined to ligate the damaged veins. [ 6 , 7 ] However, in this case, we used a microscopic suture technique to repair the cephalic vein and minimized the damage to the patient. Additionally, anti-infection treatment and anticoagulation are both equally important to ensure the success of the therapy.…”

“…[ 3 – 5 ] Non-iatrogenic intravenous FBs, including shrapnel and metallic fragments, are relatively rare emergencies. [ 6 , 7 ] To prevent adverse consequences, rapid tests, accurate diagnosis, and effective extraction of the FB via an operation are particularly important. This uncommon condition can be worrisome for surgeons.…”