A hand-held, surgical instrument used to facilitate the removal of an intravascularly placed catheter, typically a guide catheter used to introduce a variety of transvenous devices [e.g., a balloon catheter, oxygen (O2) and/or other sensors, pacing electrode/leads]. It has a specially shielded steel blade that is integrated into the handle. The exposed end of the transvenous device is typically placed and held in a protective channel of this device (the slitter) and the physician pulls the proximal end of the catheter against the blade in a smooth, firm, motion; this splits open the catheter hub and the tubing wall, leaving the transvenous device intact, in situ. This is a single-use device.