We report a patient with a malfunctioning Lillehei-Kaster aortic valve which presented only as loss of the normal valve click, 7 months after temporary interruption of anticoagulation at the time of abdominal surgery. Loss of a normal prosthetic valve click may be the only sign of prosthetic valve malfunction, and it is a surgical emergency. Patients with prosthetic heart valves, who undergo non-cardiac surgery, should not receive vitamin K1, and anticoagulation should be restarted promptly after surgery with intravenous heparin as well as warfarin.
Lillehei-Kaster - Missing aortic click
