Deep venous thromboembolism and pulmonary embolization as a rare complication of diagnostic femoral catheterization and prevention of recurrence with inferior vena cava filter prior to cardiac surgery

Deep venous thrombosis (DVT) and pulmonary embolism (PE) are rare complications after diagnostic femoral catheterization. A few clinical cases have been reported, especially in the setting of venous compression with an enlarging haematoma, mechanical groin compression or prolonged procedures. Similarly, clinically evident PE after cardiac surgery is also very rare, but may be catastrophic. In this article, we present a case of PE after silent (symptomless) DVT due to femoral catheterization. The patient had critical coronary artery disease and was a candidate of coronary artery bypass grafting. A inferior vena cava filter was implanted prior to cardiac surgery for prevention of a potential pulmonary embolus.