Intraoperative Echocardiography Demonstrating Penetrating Chest Wound From an Automated Crossbow
Makoto Hibino, MD, MPH, PhD; Nitish K. Dhingra, BHSc; Raj Verma; Bobby Yanagawa, MD, PhD; Gianluigi Bisleri, MD; Subodh Verma, MD, PhD
Video supplement to ”An Arrow Through the Heart,” by Hibino, et al. (May 2022 Clinical Images).
A 54-year-old man suffered a self-inflicted penetrating chest wound from an automated crossbow used for hunting large animals. The arrow was in the plane of the diaphragm and penetrated the left ventricle, although no hemopericardium, hemothorax, or pneumothorax were identified. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography showed no significant mitral regurgitation despite the proximity of the arrow to the base of a papillary muscle. This case details his subsequent successful treatment with the assistance of intraoperative echocardiography.
