Left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) is an alternative to oral anticoagulation therapy in patients with atrial fibrillation who are at high risk for bleeding and thromboembolic events. Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is the standard modality for intraprocedural imaging during LAAO. We report a rare case of extensive submucosal esophageal hematoma that developed after a TEE-guided LAAO procedure. The cause, management, and prevention of this complication are explored in depth in this report.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.