
Combined vascular and neurologic injury after cephalic vein cutdown approach for ICD implantation
Author(s) -
Jack Xu,
Peyton Card,
Evan Watts,
Guillermo A. Escobar,
Gareth Tobler,
Hakan Paydak
Publication year - 2017
Publication title -
case reports in internal medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 2332-7251
pISSN - 2332-7243
DOI - 10.5430/crim.v4n1p75
Subject(s) - medicine , cephalic vein , brachial plexus , brachial plexus injury , hematoma , surgery , axillary vein , implantable cardioverter defibrillator , brachial artery , vein , anesthesia , cardiology , thrombosis , blood pressure
In this article we discuss two cases that highlight possible complications of cardiac device implantation. In particular, our first case involves a patient who, during implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) implantation, sustained injuries to her subclavian artery and vein and subsequently developed a self-resolving neuropraxia of the brachial plexus. In our second case, the patient, also during ICD implantation, had his left cephalic vein nicked during cutdown. Post-op he then developed a hematoma-induced left brachial plexus injury that also eventually self-resolved. A literature search has not shown other incidences of iatrogenic brachial plexus injuries from ICD implantation as described.