Severe hemothorax complications during atrial fibrillation ablation: Lessons from two cases

Atrial fibrillation (AF) ablation has rapidly become a safe and effective treatment method owing to recent advancements in technology and more experienced operators.1 However, there is a risk of rare but severe complications of AF ablation,2,3 such as cerebral infarction, cardiac tamponade, pulmonary vein (PV) stenosis, or atrioesophageal fistula. One of such severe complications, hemothorax, is rare. A previous worldwide survey reported an incidence of 0.02%.1 This study reports 2 cases of hemothorax due to AF ablation, both associated with bleeding of the intercostal artery (ICA); presents the clinical course of this complication; and discusses the treatment and prevention.