Left ventricular--abdominal aortic conduit complicated by late gastric erosion

A 70-year-old woman with calcific aortic stenosis and a calcific ascending aorta obtained excellent relief with a left ventricular--abdominal aortic conduit (a Dacron graft containing a porcine valve). Eight months postoperatively, erosion of the conduit into the stomach resulted in fatal gastrointestinal bleeding. This lethal complication may be averted by use of suggested techniques.