Replacement of an immobile prosthetic mitral valve - A case report

A mechanical prosthetic heart valve can become acutely obstructed despite a nticoagulation therapy. This can be a life-threatening complication. We rep ort the case of a 38-year-old woman who survived obstruction of her Sorin p rosthetic mitral valve. She was admitted to the hospital because of severe pulmonary edema. On auscultation, mechanical valve sounds were absent. Tran sthoracic echocardiography showed an immobile mechanical valve. The patient suffered a cardiac arrest while being prepared for surgery, but she underw ent successful mitral valve replacement after cardiopulmonary resuscitation . When patients with prosthetic mitral valves present with acute dyspnea, t he possibility of an obstructed prosthetic valve must be considered in the differential diagnosis.