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The Bundle of His in Prosthetic Heart Valve Replacement
Abstract
The proximal portion of the His-Tawara system was examined in 27 patients who died after a heart valve replacement operation. Fifteen patients died 5 days or less after operation, and recent conduction tissue haemorrhage was found in 9 of these patients. There was no sign of recent conduction tissue haemorrhage in the 12 patients who died later than 5 days postoperatively, nor in 14 control hearts from routine autopsies. Direct damage to conduction tissue by surgical sutures was observed in 2 patients. This study confirms that the conduction system is at risk during valve replacement operations. Haemorrhage into the conduction tissue is a frequent finding in patients dying within the first week after the operation.
S. Afr. Med. J., 47, 136 (1973)
S. Afr. Med. J., 47, 136 (1973)