Every physician hates to have a patient develop a complication. Nevertheless, we also know that when a problem does develop, one needs a clear corrective strategy to minimize the effect of the complication and thereby prevent a major morbid event. The most frightening of all cardiologic complications occur in the catheterization laboratory. Indeed, Lewis Dexter, one of my mentors, told me about his first, accidental catheterization of the pulmonary artery. When he saw, under the fluoroscope, that the catheter was dancing back and forth in the lung, Dr. Dexter was convinced that he had...

Every physician hates to have a patient develop a complication. Nevertheless, we also know that when a problem does develop, one needs a clear corrective strategy to minimize the effect of the complication and thereby prevent a major morbid event. The most frightening of all cardiologic complications occur in the catheterization laboratory. Indeed, Lewis Dexter, one of my mentors, told me about his first, accidental catheterization of the pulmonary artery. When he saw, under the fluoroscope, that the catheter was dancing back and forth in the lung, Dr. Dexter was convinced that he had...