We report two patients with a history of prior mitral valve and aortic valve replacement with St. Jude prosthetic valves, who were referred for repeat valve replacement after noninvasive assessment was suggestive of prosthetic valve malfunction. Both patients were managed medically after evaluation with direct left ventricular apical puncture revealed normal hemodynamics in the first and mild a...

We report a case of prosthetic valve nocardia endocarditis. A 43 year old farmer underwent aortic valve replacement with a bioprosthetic valve. The immediate post-operative course was uneventful but 2 weeks later he developed fever. A trans-oesophageal echocardiogram (TEE) showed a string like structure attached to the prosthetic valve. Blood cultures grew N. farcinica. He was initially treated...

The first mechanical heart valve prosthesis, designed by Dr Charles Hufnagel, was implanted to the descending aorta of a 30-year-old woman with severe aortic regurgitation in 1952.1 Eight years after the initial successful prosthetic valve implantation, Dr Harken sutured a prosthetic valve (Starr Edwards Valve) to the aortic annulus after removing the diseased native valve. During the ensuing y...

Prosthetic valves have revolutionized the way we treat patients with valvular disease. Before the advent of these valves patient’s options were limited and morbidity and mortality high. In the early 1960’s valve replacement surgery was introduced which dramatically changed the management of these patients. Prosthetic valve technology continues to evolve and surgeons have multiple options to off...

Staphylococcus warneri, a coagulase negative staphylococcus, has been isolated in prosthetic device-related infections and has been reported as a rare cause of endocarditis. We report a case of prosthetic aortic valve S. warneri endocarditis, in which the patient lacked typical infectious signs and symptoms, instead presenting with congestive heart failure due to perforation of the valve. Provi...

A 64-year-old woman with a mechanical mitral valve prosthesis developed late-onset Candida endocarditis. Blood cultures grew Candida glabrata and Candida krusei. Transesophageal echocardiography demonstrated vegetations on the valve. The patient was not medically fit for valve replacement, but her condition was successfully treated with 6 weeks of intravenous caspofungin therapy.

BACKGROUND Species of the genus Acinetobacter are Gram-negative and highly drug-resistant bacilli that normally reside on the skin, oropharynx, and perineum. Several previous studies have reported prosthetic valve endocarditis due to A. baumannii infection. CASE PRESENTATION Here we present a case of late endocarditis of a bioprosthetic tricuspid valve due to A. baumannii complex in a patient...

BACKGROUND Leaflet escape of prosthetic valve is rare but potentially life threatening. Early diagnosis is essential on account of avoiding mortality, and emergency surgical correction is compulsory. This complication has previously been reported for both monoleaflet and bileaflet valve models. METHODS A 30-year-old man who had undergone mitral valve replacement with a bileaflet valve 8 years...