title: Prosthetic valve malfunction masked by intraoperative pressure measurements.
abstract: We describe a case in which intraoperative echocardiography recorded an abnormally high pressure gradient across a newly implanted mechanical heart valve. However, inserting pressure-transducing needles on each side of this prosthesis did not confirm the echocardiographic findings. The prosthesis was later confirmed to be malfunctioning and was replaced.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anesthesiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minnesota 55905, USA. rehfeldt.kent@mayo.edu
authors.forename: Kent H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Rehfeldt
authors.forename: Roger L
authors.initials: RL
authors.lastname: Click
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001011:Aorta / Q000503:physiopathology; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D001794:Blood Pressure; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; D006801:Humans; D007432:Intraoperative Period; D008297:Male; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D012086:Reoperation; D017725:Ventricular Pressure