Korean J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg.  2003 May;36(5):316-320.

Changes of Microembolic Signals after Heart Valve Surgery

• Cho SJ
• Lee E
• Baek MJ
• Oh SS
• Na CY

Abstract

BACKGROUND: The detection of circulating microemboli by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) has the potential to select the patients with high risk for future symptomatic brain embolism. We prospectively evaluated the positive rate and the frequency of microembolic signals (MES) before and after the heart valve surgery (HVS). MATERIAL AND METHOD: Fifty in-patients with heart valve disease were enrolled in this study. Patients with history of previous stroke or heart valve surgery were excluded. Two unilateral TCD monitoring sessions were performed from middle cerebral artery for 1-hour, before and after HVS. RESULT: Mechanical Heart valves were implanted in 28 patients, tissue valves were implanted in 10 patients, and remaining 12 patients received mitral valve repair. Positive rate of MES was significantly increased after HVS (50%), compared to that of before HVS (8%, p=0.00). There was no relation between MES after HVS and intensity of anticoagulation, cardiac rhythm, patients' age, and history of hypertension. The positive rate of MES after implantation of mechanical heart valve (71.4%) was significantly higher than those after implantation of tissue valve or mitral valve plasty (p=0.002).
CONCLUSION
Positive rate of MES was increased significantly after the implantation of HVS. The changes of MES in those with mechanical prosthesis may be related to the increased risk of embolism after HVS.

Keyword

Ultrasonography, doppler, transcranial; Heart valve disease; Heart valve prosthesis; Embolism

MeSH Terms

Embolism
Heart Valve Diseases
Heart Valve Prosthesis
Heart Valves*
Heart*
Humans
Hypertension
Intracranial Embolism
Middle Cerebral Artery
Mitral Valve
Prospective Studies
Prostheses and Implants
Stroke
Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial