A Case of Bioprosthetic Valve Thrombosis: Is it Time to Revise Our Thinking?

Surgical valve replacement is a time-tested modality of treatment in patients with significant valvular heart disease. Bioprosthetic valves (BPVs) are preferred among certain patients because of less thrombogenicity which warrants only a short duration of anticoagulation as recommended by guidelines. Subclinical thrombosis as well as symptomatic BPV thrombosis is being increasingly recognized nowadays, more because of improvement in diagnostic modalities and increasing awareness. Our case report highlights the occurrence of BPV thrombosis in a patient who underwent surgical BPV implantation and was on anticoagulation for guideline recommended duration. This report also highlights the need for regular periodic echocardiographic screening of these patients to detect BPV thrombosis at an early stage.