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Atrial Fibrillation Perivalvular Leak Closure Radiofrequency Ablation Sallow Complexion Valve Replacement Death Over-Treatment Lack of Informed Consent Outcome Misrepresentation Financial Exploitation Rehabilitation Neglect Diagnostic Inaccuracy Communication Breakdown Procedural Complications Lack of AccountabilityShe underwent perivalvular leak closure and radiofrequency ablation in the cardiology department. Afterward, her complexion turned sallow. Six months later, she had valve replacement surgery and died postoperatively.
Death
Because the discharge summary from the cardiology admission was unavailable, the following discussion is necessarily inferential. The cardiology team did not appear to treat the patient’s 16-year history of prosthetic valves as a distinct and critical factor. Instead, they approached the case primarily as recurrent atrial fibrillation in a standard patient. Had the long-standing prosthetic valve history been properly weighted, the team would likely have recognized that valve degeneration and aging were the probable root cause of the frequent atrial fibrillation episodes. In that scenario, referral to cardiac surgery for evaluation would have been appropriate. At minimum, a multidisciplinary discussion should have been convened rather than proceeding directly with perivalvular leak closure and radiofrequency ablation performed solely within the cardiology service.
Had she contacted this service before the initial procedures, she would have learned that her recurrent atrial fibrillation was most likely caused by degeneration of the 16-year-old prosthetic valves and that redo valve replacement was indicated. Proceeding directly to valve replacement would have offered a substantially better chance of success. The perivalvular leak closure and radiofrequency ablation she underwent beforehand objectively worsened the underlying valve pathology and increased the technical difficulty of the subsequent redo surgery. In retrospect, reaching out before those interventions represented her only realistic path to survival.
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