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Open AccessCase report

Long-term event-free survival with an embolised prosthetic valve leaflet in the thoracic aorta

Mohan P Devbhandari email, Edwin B C Woo email and Timothy L Hooper email

Journal of Cardiothoracic Surgery 2008, 3:34doi:10.1186/1749-8090-3-34

Published: 30 May 2008

Abstract (provisional)

We report the case of a patient who underwent a redo surgery for a leaflet escape from a Bjork-Shiley tilting disc mitral prosthesis inserted 18 years previously. The escaped disc remained lodged in the thoracic aorta without any complication. She ultimately died of terminal heart failure 13 years after the second operation. We believe this to be the longest survival with a dislodged leaflet from a mechanical valve. Removal of dislodged disc is recommended in literature but there may be a place for watchful observation in exceptional cases with no haemodynamic compromise.

The complete article is available as a provisional PDF. The fully formatted PDF and HTML versions are in production.


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