Abstract
A case of a patient in which a routine catheterization for aortic valve disease was performed is reported. Early postcatheterization course was complicated with abdominal pain, hypotension and respiratory failure.
Emergent cannulation of left subclavian vein was performed. Cardiac tamponade was found after two days and the patient was indicated for emergent sternotomy.
The injury of brachiocephalic vein and SVC caused during emergent vein cannulation were the sources of bleeding. Further postoperative course was complicated with SVC stenosis treated with percutaneous dilatation.
Another complications (respiratory failure, renal failure with CVVHDF, secondary wound healing in the groin after femoral vein cannulation) extended hospital stay to 59 days.The uneventfull aortic valve replacement was performed after 6 months.