Acute Thoracic Complications of Minimally Invasive Cardiac Procedures

Purpose of review Complications of minimally invasive cardiac procedures range from self-limiting to life-threatening. This review article will highlight the incidence, risk factors, and imaging features of acute thoracic complications of three of the most common minimally invasive cardiac procedures encountered in practice: transcatheter aortic valve replacement, cardiac implantable electronic devices, and pulmonary vein isolation. Recent findings Most minimally invasive cardiac procedures have a relatively low risk profile. Acute thoracic complications are usually detected during the procedure; however, delayed presentations are not uncommon, and therefore imaging with computed tomography or x-ray, in conjunction with echocardiography, plays an important role. Summary As most of the imaging-relevant acute thoracic complications are secondary to catheter and device deployment within a vessel or cardiac chamber, the highlighted complications in this article can be extrapolated to a majority of the several other minimally invasive techniques not discussed here. Radiography and computed tomography demonstrate readily recognizable abnormalities that confirm or suggest procedure related complications and guide further management.