Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy Following Pericardiocentesis After Aortic Valve Repair and Ascending Aorta Replacement

Takotsubo cardiomyopathy is a reversible cardiomyopathy, which generally developes in menopausal women and is characterized by left ventricle dysfunction with apical ballooning in the absence of coronary artery disease. It is often triggered by a stressful event, and its clinical presentation resembles acute anterior myocardial infarction. This condition is a rare adverse event of cardiac operations, and only a few cases are described in the literature, especially after mitral valve operations. We report the case of a 69-year-old man who underwent aortic valve repair and ascending aorta replacement, followed by pericardial effusion 6 months later, requiring pericardiocentesis resulting in Takotsubo cardiomyopathy. (C) 2016 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons