Management of prosthetic heart valve obstruction: fibrinolysis versus surgery. Early results and long-term follow-up in a single-centre study of 263 cases.

Optimal management of prosthetic heart valve obstruction (PHVO) remains controversial even though surgery is usually recommended. To better define the efficacy and safety of fibrinolysis versus surgery in the pre- and post-transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE) eras. We analysed initial results and follow-up data from a large, retrospective, single-centre series, comparing fibrinolysis and surgery in patients with PHVO treated over 20 years.

Fibrinolysis of mechanical prosthetic valve thrombosis: a single-center study of 127 cases.

Objectives: This study was designed to analyze the results of fibrinolytic treatment (FT) in a large single-center group of patients with prosthetic heart valve thrombosis (PHVT).

Background: Fibrinolytic treatment of PHVT represents an alternative to surgery, but is still controversial because of the risk of embolism.

Methods: A total of 110 consecutive patients presenting with 127 instances of PHVT received FT between 1978 and 2001.