The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 27, 191-193, Copyright © 1979 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Structure-related thrombosis involving a porcine xenograft valve
RD McComb, FD Stahmann, WN O'Connor and EP Todd
A patient developed acute congestive heart failure following chordal
rupture and underwent mitral valve replacement with a porcine xenograft. He
recovered adequate hemodynamic function but died one month later with
widespread bronchopneumonia. Postmortem examination revealed a prominent
muscular shelf in the right coronary leaflet of the xenograft, and focal
thrombosis involving the adjacent sewing ring and left atrial wall. The
location of the thrombus suggests that it formed as a result of local
stasis behind the large muscular shelf. Limiting the size of this muscular
shelf by valve selection and construction may reduce the thrombogenicity of
this prosthesis.