A conservative surgical approach for management of iatrogenic pulmonary artery perforation

Accidental malposition of a chest tube in the pulmonary artery is a potentially fatal complication. Here we describe a 66 year-old obese woman with prior cardiac transplantation, intubated for respiratory failure and felt to have a large left pleural effusion. A chest tube was inserted using a trocar tube, and resulted in near-exsanguinating hemorrhage immediately, with development of hypovolemic shock. Prompt clamping of the tube proved life-saving, and CT scan confirmed placement of the tube in the main pulmonary artery. Initial stabilization, followed by a planned surgical approach, resulted in successful removal of the tube.