[Imaging following valve replacement]

Patients who undergo heart valve replacement require lifelong cardiac follow-up care. Although the primary pathology of the patient is treated by valve replacement, the risk of postoperative complications and structural failure of the implanted device requires regular check-ups where imaging plays an important role. Immediately after surgery reference values regarding prosthetic and cardiac function for further check-ups are obtained. Transthoracic and transesophageal echocardiography are the imaging modalities of choice for standard examination and follow-up due to their availability and low costs. However, when it comes to identification of complications they are often insufficient. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomography (CT) play an increasingly important role as complementary modalities for the detection and monitoring of complications after valve replacement. The following article gives an overview of the current non-invasive examination methods and the use in the investigation of postoperative complications.