Left atrial appendage tear due to blunt chest trauma: off-pump repair

Abstract

Left atrial appendage tear due to blunt trauma is a very rare clinical entity with high mortality rates. Traumatized patients may have no symptoms, or be in a cardiogenic shock state. For diagnosis, it is crucial to determine hemopericardium by echocardiography. Herein, we report a 28-year-old male patient who developed left atrial appendage tear following a fall from a higher distance. He underwent successful off-pump repair of the tear through a median sternotomy.Eur Res J 2016;2(3):225-227