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A case of hemolysis after percutaneous ventricular septal defect closure with a device
Matthew W Martinez1, Martina Mookadam, Farouk Mookadam
1Division of Cardiovascular Diseases, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, Rochester, MN, USA.
Insights
Intracardiac prosthetic materials can cause hemolytic anemia. A muscular ventricular septal defect occluder led to severe anemia, necessitating its removal and repair.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Hematology
- Biomaterials Science
Background:
- Intracardiac prosthetic materials are associated with hemolytic anemia.
- Hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy is a condition affecting heart muscle.
- Ventricular septal defects (VSDs) are holes between the heart's ventricles.
Observation:
- A 74-year-old female with hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy underwent closure of a postoperative ventricular septal defect.
- A muscular ventricular septal defect occluder was used for closure.
- The patient developed intractable hemolytic anemia following the procedure.
Findings:
- The muscular ventricular septal defect occluder was identified as the cause of the severe hemolytic anemia.
- Surgical removal and repair of the occluder were required to resolve the anemia.
- This case highlights a rare complication of transcatheter VSD closure.
Implications:
- This case underscores the potential for intracardiac devices to cause hemolysis.
- Careful patient selection and device choice are crucial for VSD closure.
- Further research into biomaterial interactions with blood is warranted.
Abstract:
Hemolytic anemia related to intracardiac prosthetic materials has been described. We describe a case of a 74-year-old female with a history of hypertrophic obstructive cardiomyopathy that had a postoperative ventricular septal defect closed with a muscular ventricular septal defect occluder. The device caused intractable hemolytic anemia that required surgical removal and repair. We describe a rare cause of hemolysis complicating transcatheter closure of a post-traumatic ventricular septal defect.
