Author(s): M. Castro, Patricia ; Rei, Joana ; Silva, Cátia ; Miranda, José ; Guerra, Miguel
Date: 2024
Origin: Portuguese Journal of Cardiac Thoracic and Vascular Surgery
Subject(s): Complete atrioventricular block; asystole; lung resection surgery; pacemaker; complication; cardiac conduction disorders
Surgical resection remains the optimal therapeutic option for early-stage operable NSCLC. Despite significant advances in recent years related to anesthetic and surgical techniques, cardiopulmonary complications remain major causes for postoperative morbimortality. In this paper we present a case of a patient who developed complete AV block followed by asystole after lung resection surgery. The patient underwent surgery via right VATS and the procedure was uneventful. On the first post-operative day patient developed a third-degree atrioventricular block followed by 6 seconds asystole. Pharmacological treatment was instituted and implementation of a permanent pacemaker occurred on the third post-operative day, without complications. The remaining postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged home on the sixth post-operative day. It is the objective of the authors to report and highlight this rare and potencial fatal complication of lung resection.
