Post-Impella Sneeze Leading to Stroke and Emergent Cardiac Surgery

We present a rare case of stroke occurring after left ventricular support device removal. A 53-year-old man presented with left arm and left leg weakness that began after sneezing. He had been discharged 5 months previously after an Impella-supported coronary artery bypass graft. Computed tomography...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Jessica Amos, Michael Ritchie, Hazaim Alwair
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: American College of Physicians 2024-07-01
Series:Annals of Internal Medicine: Clinical Cases
Online Access:https://www.acpjournals.org/doi/10.7326/aimcc.2024.0195
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Summary:We present a rare case of stroke occurring after left ventricular support device removal. A 53-year-old man presented with left arm and left leg weakness that began after sneezing. He had been discharged 5 months previously after an Impella-supported coronary artery bypass graft. Computed tomography angiography scan of the chest showed a clot attached to the Impella graft from his previous surgery. Magnetic resonance imaging scan of the brain revealed multiple embolic infarcts. The graft and clots were removed successfully, and the patient's symptoms improved. This is the first reported case, to our knowledge, of stroke occurring months after Impella removal.
ISSN:2767-7664