Redo aortic valve replacement after partial upper sternotomy (hemisternotomy) in a patient with idiopathic thrombocytopenia: a case report

BACKGROUND We present a case of redo aortic valve replacement in a patient with thrombocytopenia. The initial operation was performed through limited access transverse sternotomy. This is the first report of this kind in the literature. CASE PRESENTATION A 62 year old Caucasian male farmer with thrombocytopenia had uneventful redo aortic valve replacement when the first xenograft failed after 9 years, the transverse upper hemisternotomy in the first operation appearing to facilitate the redo complete sternotomy. CONCLUSION With this only case of redo aortic valve replacement in our practice of 90 hemisternotomies over 10 years we present for consideration the use of a tissue valve in a complex relatively young patient.