Navaratnarajah Manoraj, Raja Shahzad G
Department of Cardiac Surgery, Harefield Hospital, London, United Kingdom.
J Card Surg. 2011 May;26(3):279-81. doi: 10.1111/j.1540-8191.2011.01234.x. Epub 2011 Mar 28.
Surgical radiofrequency Maze procedure is a well-developed technology with an established safety profile. Clinical complications, albeit rare, have been described secondary to usage of unipolar radiofrequency devices. Bipolar radiofrequency devices have virtually eliminated the complications associated with unipolar devices, thereby combining safety with efficacy. We report a case of chylopericardial tamponade and chylothorax following radiofrequency Maze procedure using a bipolar device.