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Published on: April 17, 2021
Conservative Management of an Epicardial Collateral Perforation During Retrograde Chronic Total Occlusion
Christian Ngo, George Christopoulos, Emmanouil S Brilakis1
1VA North Texas Health Care System, The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas, Division of Cardiology (111A), 4500 S. Lancaster Rd, Dallas, TX 75216 USA. esbrilakis@gmail.com.
Insights
Coronary artery perforation during chronic total occlusion interventions is serious. This case shows conservative management with anticoagulation reversal successfully treated collateral vessel perforation.
Area of Science:
- Interventional Cardiology
- Cardiovascular Research
- Medical Case Reports
Background:
- Coronary artery perforation is a significant risk during percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), especially for chronic total occlusions (CTOs).
- Perforation of epicardial collaterals during retrograde CTO-PCI presents unique challenges for bleeding control.
- Complications can include pericardial effusion, tamponade, and the need for emergency cardiac surgery.
Abstract:
Coronary artery perforation is a highly feared complication of chronic total occlusion (CTO) percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and can lead to pericardial effusion, tamponade, and, rarely, emergent cardiac surgery. Perforation of epicardial collaterals during retrograde CTO-PCI may be particularly challenging to treat, as embolization from both sides of the perforation may be required to control the bleeding. However, conservative measures can occasionally be effective. We present a case of epicardial collateral vessel perforation that was managed conservatively with anticoagulation reversal.
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