Aeroembolism in left atrium during catheter ablation of atrial fibrillation in a patient with dextrocardia: a case report and review of the literature

• Main Authors: Yun-fan Wang, Xue-jiang Cen, Jian-wu Yu, Bai-ming Qu, Li-hong Wang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: BMC 2017-06-01
• Series: BMC Cardiovascular Disorders
• Subjects: Aeroembolism; Atrial fibrillation; Catheter ablation; Dextrocardia; Case report
• Online Access: http://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s12872-017-0581-7

Abstract Background Air embolus penetrating into heart chamber as a complication during percutaneous radiofrequency catheter ablation has been infrequently reported. Case presentation A 55-year-old man with dextrocardia who suffered from abdominal pain was suspected to have multiple arterial thromboembolisms, which might have originated from left atrium thrombosis since he had atrial fibrillation. He received oral anticoagulant therapy and catheter ablation of the arrhythmia. During the ablation procedure, an iatrogenic aeroembolism penetrated into the left atrium due to improper operation. Ultimately, the entire air embolus was extracted from the patient, who was free of any aeroembolism events thereafter. Conclusions It is essential for an operator to pay full attention to all details of the procedure to avoid an aeroembolism during catheter ablation. In case of aeroembolism, removal by aspiration is an optimal and effective treatment.