We report a case of delayed onset Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TC) in a 69-year-old woman, associated with minor stressors, two weeks after mitral valve replacement. After suffering several minor complications she had fully recovered and her discharge was planned. On the 14th postoperative day she had to be resuscitated due to cardiogenic shock. TC was diagnosed based on reduced ventricular function with apical ballooning and normal coronaries. Treatment with catecholamines and intra-aortic balloon pump led to full recovery. She continues to do well two years after surgery. TC should be considered as a potential cause of delayed ventricular dysfunction in postcardiac surgery patients.
© Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.