[Pulmonary Artery Catheter Injured by Ablation Device during Maze Procedure]

We report a case of pulmonary artery catheter (PAC) injury by radio frequency device for maze procedure. A 64-year-old female with severe mitral insufficiency, tricuspid insufficiency and paroxysmal atrial fibrillation was scheduled for mitral valve repair, tricuspid annulo- plasty and maze procedure including right-sided maze. Under general anesthesia, a PAC was inserted to pul- monary artery (PA) uneventfully. After radio frequency maze procedure and mitral valve repair, PAC was removed from right atrium by the surgeon for tricus- pid annuloplasty. Thereafter, the surgeon reinserted the PAC under transesophageal echocardiographic guidance since PAC balloon could not be inflated. PA pressure and cardiac output were not shown despite other parameters were correct We removed the PAC and reinserted a new one after the surgery. The PAC was compressed at about 25 cm from the tip and it appears to have been injured during right-sided maze procedure with radio frequency device. Complications of PAC are well known, including PA rupture and suture entrapment to the right atrium. To best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of PAC injury by radio frequency device. Fortunately the PAC was not torn in our case ; however, there might have been a risk of infection through the thermodilu- tion cable.