[Mitral valve replacement for four times with three kinds of prosthetic valve dysfunction]

There are 2 major types of prosthetic valve replacement complications; structural valvular deterioration and nonstructural dysfunction. Nonstructural dysfunction includes valve thrombosis, paravalvular leak, prosthetic valve endocarditis and bleeding event. Primary tissue failure is the most common reason for mitral valve replacement (MVR) with tissue valves, and paravalvular leak is also a common factor of MVR in repeated MVR cases. We report a case of a woman who has undergone MVR for four times. She underwent the 1st MVR with a tissue valve 19 years ago because of mitral valve regurgitation. Nine years after the initial operation, structural valvular deterioration developed and she underwent the 2nd MVR with a mechanical prosthesis. Two years after the 2nd operation, she underwent the 3rd MVR because of repeated prosthetic valve thrombosis. Paravalvular leak was recognized 8 years after the 3rd operation and she underwent the 4th MVR. Her postoperative course was uneventful.