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Heart Disease (Expert Forum)
Post Mini maze blood clot
Answered by
Cleveland - OH
This forum is for questions and support regarding heart issues such as: Angina, Angioplasty, Arrhythmia, Bypass Surgery, Cardiomyopathy, Coronary Artery Disease, Defibrillator, Heart Attack, Heart Disease, High Blood Pressure, Mitral Valve Prolapse, Pacemaker, PAD, Stenosis, Stress Tests.
Post Mini maze blood clot
by mroby, Mar 18, 2006 12:00AM
Dear Doctor,
I am a 30 year old woman who was diagnosed with Atrial Fibrulation in Aug 2005, although I have had it since 1999. I was given the options between medicine(such as amiodarone), cox maze, cryo, catheter ablation, and thorascoscopic maze to correct the problem. My doctor urged me to have the thorascoscopic maze. Was this sound advice?
I had the “mini maze” performed in September. But was given a bilateral pneumothroax. Is this normal? Post op I was on amiodarone, lopressor, and coumadin.
Now I have atrial fib/flutter and was scheduled for a catheter ablation on 3/15. When they performed the TEE before the procedure they found a “layered blood clot” where my left atrial appendage was stapled off from the “mini maze”. My doctor had never seen anything like this before and postoned the catheter ablation. He believes the clot has been there since the appendage was stapled off. Have you ever seen this before?
Another thought is that it maybe Heparin inducesd thrombocytopenia.
Thank you for your time and expertise.
Michelle Roby
I am a 30 year old woman who was diagnosed with Atrial Fibrulation in Aug 2005, although I have had it since 1999. I was given the options between medicine(such as amiodarone), cox maze, cryo, catheter ablation, and thorascoscopic maze to correct the problem. My doctor urged me to have the thorascoscopic maze. Was this sound advice?
I had the “mini maze” performed in September. But was given a bilateral pneumothroax. Is this normal? Post op I was on amiodarone, lopressor, and coumadin.
Now I have atrial fib/flutter and was scheduled for a catheter ablation on 3/15. When they performed the TEE before the procedure they found a “layered blood clot” where my left atrial appendage was stapled off from the “mini maze”. My doctor had never seen anything like this before and postoned the catheter ablation. He believes the clot has been there since the appendage was stapled off. Have you ever seen this before?
Another thought is that it maybe Heparin inducesd thrombocytopenia.
Thank you for your time and expertise.
Michelle Roby
Doctor's Answer
by Cleveland Clinic, Mar 18, 2006 12:00AM
, Mar 18, 2006 12:00AM
Mroby,
Sorry to hear of the complicated course you have had. Any time you have a thoroscopic procedure, a pneumothorax is a known complication. While, not normal, it is a recognized complication of putting surgical instruments into the lung cavities.
Usually, thrombus in the atrium is localized in the appendage unless there is undelying atrial dysfunction or enlagement. Without seeing the echo, I cant tell ou for sure what the finding represents. It might also be the remenants of the surgey you had. Either way, Im sure your electrophysiologist would want you to be maintained on coumadin for several weeks before proceding again.
I doubt you have heparin induced thrombocytopenia unless you 1) have thrombocytopenia, or 2) have had incidence of clots elsewhere.
good luck
Sorry to hear of the complicated course you have had. Any time you have a thoroscopic procedure, a pneumothorax is a known complication. While, not normal, it is a recognized complication of putting surgical instruments into the lung cavities.
Usually, thrombus in the atrium is localized in the appendage unless there is undelying atrial dysfunction or enlagement. Without seeing the echo, I cant tell ou for sure what the finding represents. It might also be the remenants of the surgey you had. Either way, Im sure your electrophysiologist would want you to be maintained on coumadin for several weeks before proceding again.
I doubt you have heparin induced thrombocytopenia unless you 1) have thrombocytopenia, or 2) have had incidence of clots elsewhere.
good luck
