title: Pectoral hematoma mimicking a hemothorax in an octogenarian following aortic valve replacement--a near miss.
abstract: Open-heart surgery is associated with higher risk of complications in the octogenarians, specifically because of frailty of tissues and delayed healing secondary to various factors. Here, we present a near miss, where an 86-year-old lady underwent tissue aortic valve surgery complicated with formation of a large retro-pectoral hematoma, which on the initial chest X-ray mimicked a left hemothorax. This was successfully explored surgically and drained promptly within 8 h of the primary surgery. This is illustrated with chest radiographs. The case highlights one of the rare complications that we encountered in cardiac surgery of the elderly.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, New Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, Edinburgh, UK. ctsace1@yahoo.co.uk
authors.forename: Prakash
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nanjaiah
authors.forename: Dharmendra
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Agrawal
authors.forename: Sai U
authors.initials: SU
authors.lastname: Prasad
mesh_terms: D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000601:surgery*; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000601:surgery*; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004322:Drainage; D005260:Female; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000295:instrumentation; D006406:Hematoma / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D006491:Hemothorax / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D009135:Muscular Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology* / Q000601:surgery; D010369:Pectoralis Muscles / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D011859:Radiography; D012086:Reoperation; D016896:Treatment Outcome