Second chance for a totally thoracoscopic video-assisted pulmonary vein isolation for atrial fibrillation.
Thoracoscopic surgery for atrial fibrillation (AF) is an attractive and emerging treatment modality. However, when a bleeding occurs access for hemostasis is limited. Therefore, a sternotomy might be necessary to stop the bleeding and continue the operation. We report 2 patients with a periprocedural bleeding in whom sternotomy could be prevented by tamponading the bleeding, interrupting the operation and resuming 3 weeks later. Our cases show that sternotomies can be prevented and that there is a second chance for thoracoscopic surgery for AF.
Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Academic Medical Center, Heart Center, Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Antoine H G
AH
Driessen
Sébastien P J
SP
Krul
Bas A J M
BA
de Mol
Joris R
JR
de Groot
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001281:Atrial Fibrillation / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006488:Hemostasis, Surgical / Q000379:methods*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019106:Postoperative Hemorrhage / Q000601:surgery*; D011667:Pulmonary Veins / Q000601:surgery*; D012086:Reoperation; D020775:Thoracic Surgery, Video-Assisted / Q000379:methods*