The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 22, 389-399, Copyright © 1976 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Management of the patient with a prosthetic heart valve
F Robicsek and NB Harbold Jr
Approximately 20,000 heart valve prostheses are inserted yearly in the
United States. Even after successful heart operations, the patients who
receive them cannot be regarded as healthy individuals but are a special
group with special problems who need close medical attention for the rest
of their lives. They are susceptible to many unusual complications because
of their implanted foreign body, and it is a challenge to all physicians in
contact with them to be aware of their peculiar problems in order to
prevent complications if possible and to treat them immediately if they
occur. General therapy, surgical complications, infection, and mechanical
problems are reviewed, with means for management outlined. These
difficulties can be dealt with only by careful follow-up and
well-coordinated teamwork between the family physician and the institution
where the operation was performed.
