Venous Thrombi—A Cause of Intestinal Infarction After Aortic Valve Replacement—A Case Report

Abstract

This report deals with a case of massive intestinal infarction without appar ent occlusion of the mesenteric artery after aortic valve replacement. Fibrin thrombi in the small veins of the gangrenous intestinal wall, which might be induced by vasospasm of the splanchnic vascular bed, seem to be a causative factor of this uncommon complication. The authors call attention to this compli cation in open-heart surgery because of the difficulty in diagnosis and its cata strophic consequence. Arteriography is essential for both diagnosis and therapy.