[Catheter-induced Pulmonary Artery Injury and Pseudoaneurysm after Cardiac Surgery]

The pulmonary artery catheter( PAC) has been used for hemodynamic monitoring in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Pulmonary artery injury and pseudoaneurysm formation are the most serious and fatal complications of PAC. A 73-year-old female with aortic stenosis and angina underwent aortic valve replacement and coronary artery bypass grafting. PAC was inserted without difficulty before cardiac surgery in the operating room. The operation proceeded uneventfully. On the 1st postoperative day, massive hemoptysis suddenly occurred in the intensive care unit. The patient was treated with mechanical ventilation with positive end expiratory pressure. An enhanced computed tomography scan showed a pulmonary artery pseudoaneurysm, whith was successfully occluded by transcatheter arterial embolization. The patient was discharged in good health.