The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 49, 819-821, Copyright © 1990 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Fatal left ventricular perforation during mitral balloon valvoplasty
JM Robertson, C de Virgilio, W French, C Ruiz and RJ Nelson
Department of Surgery, Harbor-University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center, Torrance.
Percutaneous balloon dilation of left-sided cardiac valves is being
performed with increasing frequency. We describe and document the mechanism
of injury of left ventricular perforation during mitral balloon
valvoplasty. Despite a technically successful surgical repair with
hemodynamic restoration, the patient was brain dead. We emphasize (1) the
risk and the potentially catastrophic nature of left ventricular
perforation during mitral balloon valvoplasty and (2) the need for surgical
standby and rapid operative decompression for this complication.