Management of Impella device fracture during direct aortic explantation.

The utilisation of mechanical circulatory support devices in patients undergoing high-risk coronary artery bypass continues to increase. The Impella is a ventricular assist device commonly used in the setting of post-cardiotomy cardiogenic shock. This device can be implanted directly into the ascending aorta during open cardiac surgery. Device fracture is a documented complication of the Impella; however, the management of device fracture during direct explantation from an aortic graft has not yet been described. We report a case of Impella device fracture during its removal from a prosthetic aortic graft and discuss the management of this complication.

An undifferentiated, pleomorphic cardiac sarcoma masquerading as myxoma.

Cardiac sarcoma is a very rare cause of primary cardiac tumor. We present a case of an undifferentiated, pleomorphic cardiac sarcoma, masquerading as a cardiac myxoma on multimodal imaging evaluation, which was definitively diagnosed on intra-operative histopathologic examination followed by surgical resection. Learning objective: Evaluate and diagnose a rare primary cardiac tumor via multimodal imaging and a multidisciplinary approach.