Acute Prosthetic Aortic Valve Obstruction Leading to Free Aortic Insufficiency Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation as a bridge to surgery.

INTRODUCTION: Mechanical prosthetic valve thrombosis (PVT) and obstruction is a lifethreatening event. The significant morbidity and mortality associated with this condition warrants rapid diagnostic evaluation and treatment. CASE REPORT: A 66-year-old female patient with a history of aortic valve replacement 13 years before, was admitted to our intensive cardiac care unit with symptoms and signs of prosthetic aortic valve dysfunction. During cardiac angiography, she collapsed and fluoroscopy showed an immobile disc, stopped in an open position and causing free aortic regurgitation. Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation (CPR) was initiated and a VA-ECMO was inserted as a bridge to emergent cardiac surgery. Surgery was then performed and the patient was successfully discharged with no neurological impairment. DISCUSSION: We present a case where Veno-Arterial Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation (VA- ECMO) was successfully used as a bridge to emergent surgery in a cardiac arrest patient due to prosthetic valve thrombosis. CONCLUSIONS: This case illustrates how a relative contraindication (severe aortic insufficiency) to VA-ECMO may, in the end, be an indication in a very particular scenario.