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Published on: October 17, 2013
Mechanical prosthetic valve dysfunction causing pulsus alternans leading to intermittent electromechanical
Vasha Kaur1, Martyn N N Robertson, Vipin Zamvar
1Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, 51 Little France Crescent, Old Dalkeith Road, Edinburgh, Scotland EH16 4SA, UK.
Abstract:
We describe a case of electromechanical dissociation (EMD) in a 62-year-old female patient following insertion of a Medtronic Hall mitral valve prosthesis. She initially developed pulsus alternans which led, over a few hours, to intermittent electromechanical dissociation. Clinical and echocardiographic findings are described. Emergency surgical intervention revealed a piece of chorda wedged between the disc occluder and the valve ring. This case illustrates clinical and Doppler echocardiographic features associated with a rare presentation of an unusual perioperative complication of prosthetic mitral valve dysfunction. We have also included a brief review of related literature.
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