Santa Claus in the Echo Lab

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HomeCirculationVol. 108, No. 25Santa Claus in the Echo Lab Free AccessReview ArticlePDF/EPUBAboutView PDFView EPUBSections ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload citationsTrack citationsPermissions ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InMendeleyReddit Jump toFree AccessReview ArticlePDF/EPUBSanta Claus in the Echo Lab Richard Kobza, MD, Firat Duru, MD and Rolf Jenni, MD, MSEE Richard KobzaRichard Kobza From the Cardiovascular Centre, Cardiology, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland. Search for more papers by this author , Firat DuruFirat Duru From the Cardiovascular Centre, Cardiology, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland. Search for more papers by this author and Rolf JenniRolf Jenni From the Cardiovascular Centre, Cardiology, University Hospital, Zurich, Switzerland. Search for more papers by this author Originally published23 Dec 2003https://doi.org/10.1161/01.CIR.0000094087.26529.C1Circulation. 2003;108:3164A 79-year-old man with mitral valve prolapse of both leaflets and consecutive severe symptomatic mitral regurgitation underwent central double-orifice repair, the so-called “Alfieri stitch” operation. With this technique, a double-orifice mitral valve is artificially created by approximating the free edges of the leaflets at the site of the regurgitation with a suture. This is a technically simple, rapidly feasible operation that can be performed even in the presence of complex anatomical lesions. The further postoperative course of the patient was uneventful. The echocardiographic examination 3 months later showed only a mild residual mitral regurgitation and an image, unique to this operation, mimicking the face of Santa Claus in the parasternal short axis view (Figure 1). Download figureDownload PowerPointFigure 1. Echocardiographic parasternal short axis view showing the unique aspect after central double-orifice mitral valve repair, mimicking the face of Santa Claus.The editor of Images in Cardiovascular Medicine is Hugh A. McAllister, Jr, MD, Chief, Department of Pathology, St Luke’s Episcopal Hospital and Texas Heart Institute, and Clinical Professor of Pathology, University of Texas Medical School and Baylor College of Medicine.Circulation encourages readers to submit cardiovascular images to the Circulation Editorial Office, St Luke’s Episcopal Hospital/Texas Heart Institute, 6720 Bertner Ave, MC1-267, Houston, TX 77030.FootnotesCorrespondence to Rolf Jenni, MD, MSEE, Cardiology Centre, University Hospital, Raemistrasse 100, CH-8091 Zurich, Switzerland. E-mail [email protected] Previous Back to top Next FiguresReferencesRelatedDetails December 23, 2003Vol 108, Issue 25 Advertisement Article InformationMetrics https://doi.org/10.1161/01.CIR.0000094087.26529.C1PMID: 14691023 Originally publishedDecember 23, 2003 PDF download Advertisement