LAUSR

Pericardial tamponade is a serious complication of left atrial appendage (LAA) device occlusion reported in approximately 1%–3% of contemporary implant registries.1, 2 The root cause of most pericardial effusions within 7 days of the procedure has generally been determined to be cardiac perforation due to transseptal puncture or manipulation of delivery equipment or the closure device.3 The cause of some pericardial effusions, however, has not been clearly defined.3 This case outlines a novel etiology for delayed pericardial effusion and cardiac tamponade postimplant of the WATCHMAN LAA occlusion device (Boston Scientific, Natick, MA).