Right inferior phrenic artery injury as a complication of needle aspiration: a case report

Abstract

Abstract Background To the best of the author’s knowledge, inferior phrenic artery injury was not documented in the literature as a complication of chest tube insertion or needle aspiration, and our case was the first to be mentioned in literature. Traumatic injury to the inferior phrenic artery is extremely rare. It was reported to be injured by blunt trauma such as motorcar accident and may be associated with another organ injury. Case presentation The present case represents an unexpected event of inferior phrenic artery injury due to iatrogenic chest aspiration. Despite the safe maneuver we have approached in our center using a blunt dissection technique rather than the trocar technique, an unexpected complication occurred. The right inferior phrenic artery was injured with subsequent intra-abdominal bleeding and shock. It was treated successfully by endovascular embolization of the bleeding artery. Conclusions This complication might add a further morbidity and mortality and raising the responsibility of the surgeon to one of the most common daily surgeon’s practices.