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Streptokinase thrombolysis of a chronically thrombosed mitral prosthetic valve
Catheterization and Cardiovascular Diagnosis
|January 1, 1984
Insights
Fibrinolytic treatment successfully resolved prosthetic heart valve thrombosis, even when occurring late. This suggests fibrinolysis is a safe alternative to surgery for managing thrombus obstruction.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Thrombosis Research
Background:
- Prosthetic heart valve obstruction by thrombus typically necessitates surgical intervention.
- Current treatment guidelines favor surgery for managing thrombotic complications of prosthetic valves.
Observation:
- A case of mitral prosthetic valve obstruction due to thrombus is presented.
- The thrombus formation was noted to have likely occurred six months prior to presentation.
Findings:
- Successful resolution of the prosthetic valve obstruction was achieved using fibrinolytic therapy.
- This indicates that fibrinolysis can be an effective treatment modality.
Implications:
- Fibrinolysis presents a potentially safe and viable alternative to surgical treatment for prosthetic heart valve thrombosis.
- The possibility of late-onset thrombosis suggests the need for ongoing monitoring and consideration of non-surgical options.
Abstract:
Thrombus obstruction of a prosthetic heart valve is usually treated surgically. We report a well-documented case of an obstructed mitral prosthetic valve where fibrinolytic treatment was successful. Furthermore the thrombus formation probably had occurred 6 months earlier. Thus fibrinolysis appears to be a safe alternative to surgery although late occurrence of thrombosis may be possible.