What Researchers Did
Doctors reported the first known case of a stroke caused by air entering the arteries during a MitraClip heart valve repair procedure, and how HBOT was used to treat the resulting arterial gas embolism.
What They Found
The patient suffered AGE-related stroke from a faulty clip introducer during the heart procedure. HBOT was started more than 18 hours after the event, well outside the typical treatment window, yet the patient achieved complete recovery. The case also identified a previously overlooked source of air entry in MitraClip devices.
What This Means for Canadian Patients
Arterial gas embolism is an OHIP-covered emergency indication for HBOT in Ontario. This case shows that HBOT can be effective even when treatment is delayed beyond 18 hours, which is critical information for Canadian hospitals that may not have a hyperbaric chamber on-site. Cardiac catheterization labs should recognize faulty device components as a potential source of AGE.
Canadian Relevance
Arterial gas embolism is a covered OHIP indication for HBOT in Ontario. This case supports use of HBOT even with delayed treatment initiation.
Study Limitations
Single case reports cannot establish general treatment rules or determine how often delayed HBOT leads to full recovery.