Stitch in Time Saves Nine-Cardiac Tamponade during Percutaneous Transvenous Mitral Commissurotomy(PTMC)-Stitching Phenomenon

Abstract

An inadvertent puncture during PTMC in the region where right atrium (RA) and left atrium (LA) have overlapping walls may lead the catheter/needle to perforate the right atrial wall, enter the pericardial space and then enter the LA leading to "stitching phenomenon". We describe a case of cardiac perforation resulting in cardiac tamponade during PTMC due to stitching phenomenon, promptly recognized and managed, completed PTMC and referred to surgery for cardiac perforation repair.