Is it possible for a aortic valve fragment to enter the bloodstream and settle in a hand? my father suffered from a staph infection (mssa) which became so out of control that he needed an emergency aortic and mitral valve replacement as well as a maze pro

That : That is a lot for someone to go through and it is remarkable that he survived such a severe infection! there are a number of things that can happen, the least likely of which is a piece of valve ending up in the hand. With severe endocarditis (infection in the heart), clots and clumps of bacteria can be thrown from the heart into the major vessels. From there the vessels get smaller and smaller and pieces can lodge in any of these. Some of them will dissolve and others can create scars or secondary infections. Depending on the valve used, it may be more or less fragile. Metal valves are unlikely to have particles break off, but i suppose it would be possible for a pig or cow valve to have a fragment. However, this is still very unlikely and it is more likely that a clump of bacteria, called a vegetation, escaped from the heart. Also, is the nodule even related to the endocarditis? There are any number of small nodules that occur in the hand. If this is causing symptoms, such as pain or numbness, or is increasing in size, it may need to be removed. It is best to have it looked at by a hand surgeon.

With : With that kind of severe infection and illness with emergency hospitalization and (i assume) a long hospitalization, i think that it is more likely an old clot in the vein that has fibrosed and is essentially a little "wad" of scar. Other than the lump, is it causing him any problems: pain, etc?