Medicina (Kaunas) 2012; 48 (12): 622-626

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Disc Impediment in Medtronic-Hall Aortic Valve Prosthesis Followed by Successful Reoperation

Sigita Glaveckaitė1, 2, Ričardas Peldžius2, Arimantas Grebelis1, 3, Pranas Šerpytis1, 2, Aleksandras Laucevičius1, 2

1Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Vilnius University, 2Centre of Cardiology and Angiology, Vilnius University Hospital Santariškių Klinikos, 3Centre of Heart Surgery, Vilnius University Hospital Santariškių Klinikos, Lithuania

Key words: prosthetic valve dysfunction; thrombolysis; thrombectomy; pannus excision.

Summary. This case report describes the diagnostic and treatment challenges of the combined disc impediment caused by pannus ingrowth in combination with thrombus formation in a 21-mm Medtronic-Hall aortic valve prosthesis. A combined obstruction of a Medtronic-Hall prosthesis in the aortic position is a rare, but potentially fatal clinical condition for the first time reported in Vilnius University Hospital Santariškių Klinikos. Despite the difficulties in determining a correct diagnosis, our critically ill patient was clinically stabilized by partially successful thrombolysis and then successfully treated by a surgical thrombectomy together with pannus excision during the rotation of the disc within the valve housing 3 years after the valve implantation.

Correspondence to S. Glaveckaitė, Centre of Cardiology and Angiology, Vilnius University Hospital Santariškių Klinikos, Santariškių 2, 08661 Vilnius, Lithuania. E-mail: sigita.glaveckaite@santa.lt

Received 19 June 2012, accepted 30 December 2012