Leaflet escape in a modern mechanical heart valve: structure and cavitation

A 23-year-old lady presented with New York Heart Association class III dyspnoea of 5 days' duration. She had undergone mechanical aortic valve replacement elsewhere 2 years ago and was irregular with oral anticoagulant therapy. Transthoracic echocardiography (not shown) revealed that only one leaflet was moving, and she was diagnosed as having a stuck aortic valve. At surgery, following aortotomy, when the valve was examined, …