The first artificial heart valves to be used clinically were mechanical devices and the continuous research and development over the last 25 years led to the modern prostheses which offer simplicity and safety of implantation, haemodynamic efficiency, lower rates of thromboembolism and excellent durability. After the old Starr-Edwards ball-and-cage valve and the Björk-Shiley tilting-disk valve,...

A 37-year-old male with acute complicated methicillin-sensitive Staphylococcus aureus mitral valve endocarditis underwent urgent valve replacement with a bileaflet prosthesis. The postoperative course was complicated with fever and heart failure. Echocardiography showed a large subannular false aneurysm of the left ventricle. Three weeks later resection and closure of the defect with a patch ma...

A 46-year-old woman with a history of rheumatic heart disease and mitral and aortic valve replacement with mechanical bileaflet prosthesis was admitted with acute anterior wall ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction and cardiogenic shock after discontinuation of anticoagulant therapy. She underwent emergency coronary catheterization. Fluoroscopy confirmed normal motion of the prosthetic val...

Moderate-to-severe paraprosthesic leak causing hemodynamic deterioration and left ventricular remodeling can occur after transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). We present the case of a 75-year-old woman who underwent TAVI with a 26 mm CoreValve prosthesis complicated with an acute left ventricle dilatation due to a severe paravalvular leak. Patient was unresponsive to elective balloon ...

rheumatic mitral valve stenosis is the most common form of organic heart disease encountered during pregnancy and continues to cause maternal and fetal mortality. medically refractory congestive heart failure due to mitral stenosis is a clinical challenge and its optimal management remains controversial. on the other hand due to hazard of x-ray to mother and fetus, there are some limitations fo...

Until recently, heart valve failure has been treated adopting open-heart surgical techniques and cardiopulmonary bypass. However, over the last decade, minimally invasive procedures have been developed to avoid high risks associated with conventional open-chest valve replacement techniques. Such a recent and innovative procedure represents an optimal field for conducting investigations through ...

Introduction-Cardiopathy still remains a prominent cause of maternal and fetal morbidity and mortality. Pregnancy increases cardiovascular stress and can cause an asymptomatic woman with heart disease to become symptomatic. Definite data in heart surgery with extracorporeal circulation during pregnancy are limited. This report analyzes our experience in this area. Methods-Thirteen women who und...

INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES To determine the characteristics of Propionibacterium acnes prosthetic valve endocarditis (PAPVE). METHODS Prospective descriptive study of 16 consecutive cases of PAPVE. RESULTS Seven patients developed PAPVE early and 9 developed it late. In all those who developed PAPVE late, there was a history of mucocutaneous barrier manipulation. The delay in diagnosis was...

We have read with the greatest interest the paper by Wolfgang A. Goetz et al. entitled Truly stentless molded autologous pericardial aortic valve prosthesis with single point attached commissures in a sheep model [1]. We congratulate the authors on their achievements in the development of valve bioprosthesis. Apparently an autologous valve prosthesis is the subject of thorough study in the Medi...