Early Stenosis of Stentless Aortic Valve Prosthesis: A Word of Caution

• Published in: The Annals of thoracic surgery Vol. 94; no. 3; pp. 983 - 985
• Main Authors: Al Kindi, Adil H., MD, Huu, Alice Le, MD, MS, Shum-Tim, Dominique, MD, FRCSC
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.09.2012; Elsevier
• Subjects: Aged; Anesthesia. Intensive care medicine. Transfusions. Cell therapy and gene therapy; Aortic Valve Stenosis - diagnostic imaging; Aortic Valve Stenosis - surgery; Biological and medical sciences; Bioprosthesis; Body Mass Index; Cardiology. Vascular system; Cardiopulmonary Bypass - methods; Cardiothoracic Surgery; Constriction, Pathologic; Device Removal; Echocardiography; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Heart Valve Prosthesis; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation - adverse effects; Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation - methods; Humans; Medical sciences; Obesity, Morbid; Pneumology; Prosthesis Design; Prosthesis Failure; Reoperation; Risk Assessment; Severity of Illness Index; Sternotomy - methods; Surgery; Treatment Outcome; 35; Stenosis; Anesthesia; Valve prosthesis; Early; Circulatory system; Cardiology; Aortic valve
• ISSN: 0003-4975; 1552-6259
• DOI: 10.1016/j.athoracsur.2012.01.066

Early stenosis of stentless bioprosthetic valves is rarely reported. In this report, we discuss a 75-year-old woman who presented with signs of congestive heart failure 5 months after a stentless aortic valve replacement, complicated by postoperative heparin-induced thrombocytopenia. Intraoperative findings were highly unusual, consisting of a fibrous band in the subvalvular apparatus linking the interventricular septum to the free wall of the left ventricle, resulting in significant left ventricular outflow tract obstruction. The possible causes of the fibrous band are discussed.