Migration of a Central Venous Catheter in a Hemodialysis Patient Resulted in Left Atrial Perforation and Thrombus Formation Requiring Open Heart Surgery.

Central venous catheterization is widely used in patients on hemodialysis. A rare complication associated with the clinical use of central venous catheters is perforation of the heart or major vessels. We report a case of inadvertent perforation of the left atrium and thrombosis after the placement of a hemodialysis catheter in the right internal jugular vein.