Acute pulmonary thromboembolism with a floating right-heart thrombus. 4 surgical cases.
OBJECTIVE
We determined the efficacy of surgery for acute pulmonary thromboembolism with a floating right-heart thrombus.


RESULTS
Thrombi were diagnosed by transthoracic echocardiography and electron beam computed tomography in 4 patients with acute pulmonary thromboembolism with a floating right-heart thrombus, and thromboembolectomy was done in all patients. Surgical procedure included intermittent deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. One patient died of endobronchial hemorrhage and 3 survived.


CONCLUSIONS
Because acute pulmonary thromboembolism with a right-heart thrombus is life-threatening, immediate thromboembolectomy is required to decrease mortality.
Fukui
T
T
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Osaka City General Hospital, 2-53 Miyakojimahondori, Miyakojima-ku, Osaka 534-0021, Japan.
Shimizu
Y
Y
Takanashi
S
S
Nishizawa
K
K
Minamimura
H
H
Ishikawa
T
T
Fumimoto
K
K
D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006331:Heart Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011655:Pulmonary Embolism / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D017131:Thrombectomy; D013927:Thrombosis / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome