An Arrow Through the Heart

Abstract

A 54-year-old man suffered a self-inflicted penetrating chest wound from an automated crossbow used for hunting large animals. The arrow was in the plane of the diaphragm and penetrated the left ventricle, although no hemopericardium, hemothorax, or pneumothorax were identified. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography showed no significant mitral regurgitation despite the proximity of the arrow to the base of a papillary muscle. This case details his subsequent successful treatment with the assistance of cardiopulmonary bypass.

Keywords: cardiopulmonary bypass; left anterior descending coronary artery.