A long term dialysis catheter has a limited life span. It might cease to function due to blockage, infection or catheter perforation. Under such circumstances, it might be necessary to insert another catheter into another central vein, usually on the opposite side.However, there is only a limited number of central veins in the body. Another method is to remove the catheter and insert a new one into the same vein. The procedure can be difficult, especially in catheters which had been implanted for a long time when there is a lot of tissue fixation to the catheter.
Dr Ho Chung Ping and Ms Wong Sui Lan discussed the problems in catheter replacement and there is a video clip to show the catheter replacement operation.