3 Cases of Superior Vena Cava Syndrome Following Percutaneous Right Ventricular Assist Device Placement

John R Vaile; J Eduardo Rame; Rene J Alvarez; Howard T Massey; Vakhtang Tchantchaleishvili; Alec Vishnevsky; Indranee N Rajapreyar; Yevgeniy Brailovsky; Mahek K Shah

doi:10.1016/j.jaccas.2021.09.005

3 Cases of Superior Vena Cava Syndrome Following Percutaneous Right Ventricular Assist Device Placement

JACC Case Rep. 2021 Nov 3;3(15):1690-1693. doi: 10.1016/j.jaccas.2021.09.005.

Authors

John R Vaile¹, J Eduardo Rame², Rene J Alvarez², Howard T Massey³, Vakhtang Tchantchaleishvili³, Alec Vishnevsky⁴, Indranee N Rajapreyar², Yevgeniy Brailovsky², Mahek K Shah²

Affiliations

¹ Sidney Kimmel Medical College, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
² Department of Heart Failure and Transplant, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
³ Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.
⁴ Department of Interventional and Structural Cardiology, Thomas Jefferson University Hospital, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA.

Abstract

We present 3 cases of superior vena cava (SVC) syndrome following percutaneous right ventricular assist device (RVAD) placement. Each case underscores the importance of early recognition of SVC syndrome in patients with percutaneous RVAD insertion via the internal jugular vein and calls for heightened awareness of device-associated complications. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).

Keywords: CVP, central venous pressure; ICD, implantable cardioverter defibrillator; LVAD, left ventricular assist device; OHT, orthotopic heart transplantation; RVAD, right ventricular assist device; SVC, superior vena cava; TEE, transesophageal echocardiogram; cardiac assist devices; cardiac transplant; imaging; percutaneous coronary intervention.

Publication types

Case Reports