A Case of Transient Advanced Atrioventricular Block after Aortic Valve Replacement, Report of a Case

Abstract

Approximately 3%-11.8% of cases require permanent pacemaker implantation due to atrioventricular block (AVB) after aortic valve replacement (AVR), and determination of conduction disturbances such as left or right bundle branch block by preoperative electrocardiography is correlated with high risk postoperative permanent pacemaker implantation. Intraoperative risk factors include severe calcification of the aortic valve, prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass time, aortic clamp time. Recently, there have been reports of high rates of pacemaker implantation (14.2%) after transcatheter aortic valve implantation. The time of permanent pacemaker implantation after AVB is often 4-10 days, and the European Society of Cardiology guidelines recommend a period of seven days of persistent atrioventricular block postsurgery prior to permanent pacemaker implantation. We report a 79-year-old woman in which the patient developed high-degree AVB after AVR was performed for severe aortic stenosis with complete right bundle branch block. However, her pulse returned to sinus rhythm 7 days postsurgery.