Fractured occluder disc: a previously unrecognized complication of the Starr-Edwards disc prosthesis
J F Malouf1, H M Hannoush, J A Odell
1Division of Cardiovascular Diseases and Internal Medicine, Mayo Clinic and Mayo Foundation, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA.
Abstract:
Fracture of the occluder disc of a low-profile Starr-Edwards prosthesis is a hitherto unrecognized complication. We describe a patient who presented with right heart failure and severe pulmonary hypertension 27 years after mitral valve replacement with a model 6520 caged-disc prosthesis. At surgery, there was a longitudinal split in the occluder disc, and organized thrombus was lodged between the split segments. This case offers a unique opportunity to study the long-term effects of wear on the polyethylene poppet and Stellite cage.
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