Cardiac Tamponade during Transcatheter Aortic Valve Implantation (TAVI)

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is a new minimally invasive procedure for symptomatic patients with severe aortic stenosis and surgical high-risk.

Numerous technical improvements have been developed to simplify the procedure and reduce the incidence of complications. Temporary pacing of the right ventricle remains mandatory to ensure transient hypotension and low cardiac output while performing predilation of the aortic annulus and accurately position and deploy the valve. Temporary pacing is also crucial as a backup pacing device if complete atrioventricular block develops after TAVI. Implanting a temporary pacing wire requires additional venous vascular access and a pacing lead, both of which may generate complications.

Cardiac tamponade during TAVI is a rare complication. We present the case of a cardiac tamponade during TAVI probably due to right ventricular perforation associated with pacing. We report some measures to avoid such complications and improve the TAVI procedure.