Pulmonary Embolism and Infarct After Bilateral Cochlear Implantation in a Patient with Newly Diagnosed Sickle/β plus Thalassemia

Objective:To heighten awareness of increased postoperative thromboembolic complications in patients with -hemoglobinopathies.Patient:A 42-year-old African American woman with previously undiagnosed -hemoglobinopathies suffers from sensorineural hearing loss caused by bacterial meningitis and undergoes bilateral cochlear implantation.Intervention(s):Diagnostic: hemoglobin electrophoresis. Therapeutic: cochlear implantation, anticoagulation.Main Outcome Measure(s):Risk of thromboembolic event.Results:Five days after surgery, the patient developed pulmonary embolism and infarct in the right lower lobe, which was treated with a 4-month course of anticoagulation. Hemoglobin electrophoresis showed that the patient had a previously undiagnosed rare -hemoglobinopathy known as sickle/+ thalassemia.Conclusion:-Hemoglobinopathies are associated with a higher incidence of thromboembolism; thus, they should be managed aggressively to prevent or treat perioperative thrombosis.