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CARDIOVASCULAR ANESTHESIA

A Rupture of Both Atrioventricular Valves After Blunt Chest Trauma: The Usefulness of Transesophageal Echocardiography for a Life-Saving Diagnosis

Milen P. Petkov, MD^*, Charles A. Napolitano, MD, PhD^*, H. Gareth Tobler, MD, Thomas J. Ferrer, MD, J. Mauricio Palacios, MD^*, and Michael D. Wangler, MD^*

From the Departments of *Anesthesiology and Surgery, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, Arkansas

Address correspondence and reprint requests to Michael D. Wangler, MD, Associate Professor, Department of Anesthesiology, Slot #515, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, 4301 West Markham, Little Rock, AR 72205. Address e-mail to mwangler{at}uams.edu.

Survival after the rupture of the both mitral and tricuspid valves in blunt thoracic trauma is uncommon and requires prompt diagnosis and treatment. We present a case in which transesophageal echocardiography performed in the operating room by the anesthesiologist identified the etiology of hemodynamic instability and facilitated successful emergency replacement of both valves.