Ultrasound-guided posterior tibial artery cannulation as a rescue for intraoperative accidental arterial line displacement in the prone position: A case report

Arterial cannulation for patients in prone position poses a great challenge for the anaesthesiologists because of restricted anatomical access and technical difficulty in needle advancement. In such a problematic scenario, ultrasound might be hugely helpful. We report a case of a 42-year-old male who underwent Atlanto-occipital fusion in prone position. Intraoperatively the left radial arterial cannula got dislodged accidentally. The right posterior tibial artery was cannulated under ultrasound guidance by long-axis in-plane approach as a rescue technique for continued management without disturbing the procedure and inconvenience to the team. The procedure was successful on the first attempt.
 

Keywords: Ultrasound, Arterial cannulation, Prone position