Stone Heart Syndrome After Aortic Valve Replacement for Severe Aortic Stenosis: A Case Report.

ABSTRACT: Stone heart syndrome (SHS) is a rare but catastrophic complication of cardiac surgery, characterized by irreversible ischemic myocardial contracture following prolonged global myocardial ischemia, and is almost uniformly fatal once established. We report the case of a 55-year-old woman with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis who underwent elective mechanical aortic valve replacement. Preoperative echocardiography showed preserved ventricular dimensions with low-normal systolic function. Due to technical difficulties during mini-sternotomy, a prolonged aortic cross-clamp time was required with repeated cardioplegia. Failure to wean from cardiopulmonary bypass was followed by complete left ventricular akinesia, immobile left-sided valves, and minimal right ventricular activity despite maxima

SUBMITTER: Papageorgiou L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12923082 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature