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Acute Thoracic Complications of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Procedures

  • Imaging (Q Truong, Section Editor)
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Abstract

Purpose of review

Complications of minimally invasive cardiac procedures range from self-limiting to life-threatening. This review article will highlight the incidence, risk factors, and imaging features of acute thoracic complications of three of the most common minimally invasive cardiac procedures encountered in practice: transcatheter aortic valve replacement, cardiac implantable electronic devices, and pulmonary vein isolation.

Recent findings

Most minimally invasive cardiac procedures have a relatively low risk profile. Acute thoracic complications are usually detected during the procedure; however, delayed presentations are not uncommon, and therefore imaging with computed tomography or x-ray, in conjunction with echocardiography, plays an important role.

Summary

As most of the imaging-relevant acute thoracic complications are secondary to catheter and device deployment within a vessel or cardiac chamber, the highlighted complications in this article can be extrapolated to a majority of the several other minimally invasive techniques not discussed here. Radiography and computed tomography demonstrate readily recognizable abnormalities that confirm or suggest procedure related complications and guide further management.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Radiology, NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, 525 East 68th Street, Box 141, New York, NY, 10065, USA

    Stacey Verzosa Weisman MD, Francis Girvin MD, Dennis Toy MD, Sharon Steinberger MD, Joanna Escalon MD & Alan C. Legasto MD

  2. NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center, 520 East 70th Street, Starr 4, New York, NY, 10021, USA

    Edward P. Cheng MD, PhD

  3. Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, University of Maryland Medical Center, 22 South Greene Street, Baltimore, MD, 212201, USA

    Rydhwana Hossain MD

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  1. Stacey Verzosa Weisman MD
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Correspondence to Stacey Verzosa Weisman MD.

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Stacey Verzosa Weisman, Edward P. Cheng, Francis Girvin, Dennis Toy, Rydhwana Hossain, Sharon Steinberger, Joanna Escalon, and Alan C. Legasto declare that they have no conflict of interest.

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Weisman, S.V., Cheng, E.P., Girvin, F. et al. Acute Thoracic Complications of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Procedures. Curr Treat Options Cardio Med 23, 38 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11936-021-00919-0

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