An abnormal left ventricular-atrial perforation after radiofrequency catheter ablation: a case report

BACKGROUND: Cardiac radiofrequency ablation is a popular treatment for arrhythmias. However, it does have some complications, some of which are severe, even fatally. And there were limited reports on cardiac internal perforation after radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) that required a surgical repair. CASE PRESENTATION: A 47-year-old male was admitted to our hospital due to chest congestion for 4 months. He received a radiofrequency catheter ablation (RFCA) 9 months prior to admission. On admission, an echocardiogram showed an abnormal perforation between the left ventricle and the left atrium with moderate mitral valve regurgitation. We therefore performed a mitral valve replacement (MVR) and fixed the abnormal atrial-ventricular breakage via median sternotomy. CONCLUSIONS: Cardiac perforation is a severe complication of cardiac RFCA, operators should be extremely cautious to minimize radiofrequency associated perforations. Such a challenging and complex procedure should be deliberately considered by doctors and patients before implementation.