RESUMO
Objective To review our clinical experience with 41 reoperatioas of prosthetic heart valve dysfunction be-tween October 1996 and October2008. Methods There were 16 malas and 25 females with an average age of (44.5±12.6)years. All 41 patients underwent reoperation under hypothermic cardiopulmonary bypass, including 38 heart valve replace-ments, 2 disc rotations and cut of the excessive knot in 1 case. There were 13 emergency and 28 elective procedures. Results The median time for extubation was 15.3 hours and tracheostomy was needed in 5 cases. There were 6 deaths, all of which occurred in emergency cases, with a mortality rate of 15.4%. No death occurred in patients implanted with a bioprosthetic valve previously. Postoperative complications included 1 infective endocarditis, 1 intractable hiccup and 1 wound infection. Conclusion Prosthetic heart valve dysfunction is catastrophic. Early diagnosis and reoperation is mandatory.