Ultrasound-Guided Central Venous Catheterization of the Internal Jugular Vein in Cardiovascular Surgery

Objectives: Central venous catheterization (CVC) of the internal jugular vein (IJV) has been performed with landmark techniques for many years. In recent years, ultrasound (US) guidance has become the preferred method. In this observational study, we aimed to obtain the durations of IJV puncture and catheterization during US-guided CVC in patients undergoing cardiovascular surgery.
Methods: After ethics committee approval, patients over the age of eighteen who underwent cardiovascular surgery were included. Central venous catheters were inserted via the right IJV with the aid of US guidance after standard anesthesia induction. Demographic data, characteristics of surgical interventions, number of attempts for IJV puncture, duration of puncture, success rate of puncture, duration of catheterization, success rate of catheterization, and complications were recorded. Data were presented as mean±SD (min-max) and/or number (%).
Results: Fifty patients (31 M, 19 F) were included. The mean age was 64.22±11.02 years, the mean weight was 77.12±11.81 kg, and the mean height was 166.48±9.53 cm. Coronary artery bypass grafting surgery (64%), valve replacement (VR) surgery (24%) [single VR (10%), double VR (12%), and triple VR (2%)], coronary artery bypass grafting surgery with mitral VR surgery (4%), Bentall procedure (4%), Bentall procedure with aortic VR surgery (2%), and ASD repairment surgery (2%) were performed on the patients. The mean number of puncture attempts was 1.0±0.00, the mean puncture duration was 5.08±3.85 (1-16) seconds, and the mean catheterization duration was 92.86±30.85 (68-232) seconds. Vein puncture and catheterization were both successfully performed in all patients. No complications were observed.
Conclusion: The anatomical relationship and variation of IJV and CA could be easily detected with the use of US. Thus, catheterization of the IJV can be performed successfully with the aid of US guidance. Our results are in accordance with the results of studies present in the literature.