Surgical treatment of a pericardio-oesophageal fistula using a right lower lobe pulmonary tissue patch.

A 58-year-old man presented with fever and chest pain 11 days after atrial fibrillation catheter ablation. The diagnosis of pericardio-oesophageal fistula was made. Aggressive surgical management was decided. The patient was managed using extracorporeal life support, aortic valve replacement and a pulmonary patch, as well as an oesophageal stent. The patient was discharged from hospital approximately 2 months later. The use of a pulmonary patch is a rare but a highly effective technique that can be used in this indication.
(© The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)