Thrombosis of mechanical aortic valve prosthesis is a rare but life-threatening complication. In most reported cases, inadequate anticoagulation or cessation of anticoagulation is the cause of prosthesis thrombosis. The case of a 70-year-old male patient hospitalized for severe dyspnoea is presented. Although the patient was under continuous anticoagulation, thrombosis of the 16 years previousl...

Methods All patients younger than 70 years of age undergoing isolated aortic valve replacement from October 2005 to October 2011 were analyzed. Patient-prosthesis mismatch was defined as the indexed effective orifice area ≤ 0,85cm2/m2. We studied the impact of patient-prosthesis mismatch on mid-term overall mortality, cardiac events and New York Heart Association functional class using an analy...

The following paper presents a patient with severe aortic stenosis and severely reduced left ventricular ejection fraction with intra-aortic balloon pump counterpulsation support, who underwent transfemoral aortic valve implantation of a CoreValve prosthesis.

OBJECTIVES Computed tomography (CT) is an increasingly utilized method for the evaluation of patient suitability for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). The aim of this study was to analyse the role of CT in the choice of prosthesis and the prevention of residual aortic regurgitation (RAR). METHODS From November 2007 to September 2010, 115 patients (median age 81 years, inter-quan...

Four cases of patients with aortic incompetence secondary to rheumatoid arthritis are presented. All survived aortic surgery (two having bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement and two a homograft aortic root replacement). A review of the pathophysiology and pathology of this rare cause of aortic regurgitation is presented. A rationale for the choice of aortic valve prosthesis is discussed.

BACKGROUND Percutaneous aortic valve implantation by an antegrade transvenous approach has been described but is problematic. Retrograde prosthetic aortic valve implantation via the femoral artery has potential advantages. Percutaneous prosthetic aortic valve implantation via the femoral arterial approach is described and the initial experience reported. METHODS AND RESULTS The valve prosthes...