De Novo Placement of a Tunneled Dialysis Catheter over a Wire with the Single-Incision Technique

The authors describe a technique for the de novo placement of a tunneled dialysis catheter (TDC) over a wire. With use of a micropuncture needle bent into a C shape, the internal jugular vein was accessed under real-time ultrasonographic guidance from the expected catheter exit location in the deltopectoral fossa. The TDC was placed over the wire alone, without the use of a peel-away sheath. Twelve TDCs were successfully placed with this technique without any complications at an average follow-up of 2 months.