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Case Reports
. 2022 Nov 30;6(11):ytac413.
doi: 10.1093/ehjcr/ytac413. eCollection 2022 Nov.

Surgical removal of a bullet in the heart through a trans-mitral approach: a case report

Antonio Giovanni Cammardella  1 , Antonio Lio  1 , Leonardo De Luca  2 , Marcello Bergonzini  1 , Francesco Musumeci  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Surgical removal of a bullet in the heart through a trans-mitral approach: a case report

Antonio Giovanni Cammardella et al. Eur Heart J Case Rep. .

Abstract

Background: Retained cardiac missiles have been considered bullets, shrapnel, or pellets included in the heart or the pericardial sac. In asymptomatic patients with retained cardiac missiles, the role of surgery is still debated.

Case summary: We describe the case of successful surgical treatment of a retained missile localized within the left ventricle in close proximity of the posterior mitral leaflet. The operation was performed through a transatrial approach, detaching the posterior mitral leaflet. The post-operative course was uneventful. The patient was discharged on the seventh post-operative day. At 30-day follow-up visit, the patient was in good conditions, with normal mitral valve function.

Discussion: The management of retained cardiac missiles should be individualized. If a decision is made to operate, multiple imaging techniques including echocardiography and computed tomography scan are mandatory to precisely locate the bullet.

Keywords: Cardiac surgery; Case report; Mitral valve; Retained cardiac missiles.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of interest: None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Transthoracic echocardiography with the bullet (red circle) under the posterior mitral leaflet (yellow arrow), localized in the posterior left ventricle wall (blue arrow).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Chest X-ray.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Localization of the missile in the left ventricle (compute tomography-scan view).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Intraoperative image showing the removed bullet and the detached posterior mitral leaflet (yellow arrow).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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