title: Left atrial dissection after double valve replacement.
abstract: Left atrial dissection, a rare complication occurring mainly after mitral repair, is reported after double valve replacement in a patient with a connective tissue disease. A 63-year-old woman with systemic sclerosis underwent double valve replacement. Laceration of the tissue between the two mechanical prostheses and dissection of the left atrial wall emerged postoperatively and regurgitation through the dissection caused heart failure, which later improved without surgery. The possible causes of the dissection were thought to be shear forces against the tissue between the two prostheses and tissue fragility due to systemic sclerosis and corticosteroid therapy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Faculty of Medicine, University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan. mikio-ninomiya@par.odn.ne.jp
authors.forename: Mikio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ninomiya
authors.forename: Shinichi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Takamoto
authors.forename: Yutaka
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kotsuka
authors.forename: Toshiya
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ohtsuka
mesh_terms: D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D015897:Comorbidity; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D006325:Heart Atria / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006341:Heart Rupture / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000209:etiology*; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects*; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008946:Mitral Valve Stenosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000601:surgery; D012595:Scleroderma, Systemic / Q000453:epidemiology*