What are the risks of central line insertion?
As with most procedures there is a small risk of complications. The risk can depend on what type of cancer you have. • Infection: as with all surgical procedures there is a risk of infection occurring. • ‘Accidental puncture of the lung: this happens to about 1 in 4000 patients at The Christie who have a line inserted into a vein at the base of the neck. This allows air to leak into the chest and sometimes needs a tube to be placed in the chest to drain off the air. • Very rarely, the catheter tip in the vein is not in the correct position and may need adjusting. • Accidental puncture of the artery, which may cause bleeding. About 5 in 1000 patients may have an artery punctured but staff are very careful to prevent any bleeding by checking your blood count and that your blood is able to clot normally. • Thrombosis: a blood clot may develop. Signs of this include pain, swelling and discomfort in the neck or arm on the side the catheter is placed.
