Laser fibre stabs the catheter: a serious complication of endovenous laser ablation

An 82-year-old woman was treated with endovenous laser ablation for insufficiency of the right great saphenous vein. Because of a very thick layer of subcutaneous fat, puncturing the vein and introducing the laser fibre was difficult. The patient reported pain after activation of the laser. Subsequently, the procedure was discontinued and the catheter was removed. Inspection of the disposables showed that the laser fibre had punctured the catheter and was therefore located outside the lumen. Fortunately, there were no harmful sequelae in this case, but as device-related complications of EVLA are serious, reporting them is important.