background: pregnant patients with mechanical heart valves require anticoagulation. the risk of bleeding and embryopathy associated with oral anticoagulants must be weighed against the risk of valve thrombosis. methods: in this prospective study, undertaken between 1999 and 2009, 53 pregnancies (47 women with mechanical mitral valves; 29.8 ± 4.8 years old) were studied. patients were divided in...

global myocardial ischemia and ischemia-reperfusion injury are potential adverse events related with cardioplegic arrest. beating heart surgery has avoided such complications and adapted to valve surgery following successful results published on myocardial revascularization. difficulty in weaning from cardiopulmonary bypass may be lessened by using on-pump beating heart surgery for mitral valve...

This article summarizes the long-term clinical results of the Food and Drug Administration-approved heart valves, provides current updates to the objective performance criteria (OPC) used to evaluate new heart valve prostheses, and documents the steps that the International Organization for Standardization Committee used to arrive at the updated OPC. Data were extracted from 19 Food and Drug Ad...

1. Whitlock RP , Sun JC , Fremes SE , Rubens FD , Teoh KH . Antithrombotic and thrombolytic therapy for valvular disease: antithrombotic therapy and prevention of thrombosis, 9th ed: American College of Chest Physicians evidence-based clinical practice guidelines . Chest . 2012 ; 141 ( 2)(suppl ): e576S e600S . 2. Koertke H , Minami K , Boethig D , et al . INR self-management permits lower anti...

Approximately 275 000 patients receive a heart valve replacement annually. Their choices and the choices of their surgeons are limited to either a metal valve replacement or a preserved (typically allogeneic or xenogeneic) tissue valve replacement. These patients are then subject to the morbidity associated with anticoagulation when mechanical valves are used or the limited durability of a biol...

Phonocardiography is-often more valuable than electrocardiography in timing mechanical events in the cardiac cycle. This study shows that the opening and closing of the mitral valve are related to the length of the previous heart cycle as demonstrated by the variations occuring in aluricular fibrillation. These variations in valve action are controlled by the pressure gradient between left auri...

OBJECTIVE Neurocognitive deficit is an important complication in patients undergoing open heart surgery. The aim of this prospective, contemporary study was to objectively measure neurocognitive brain function following mechanical mitral valve replacement and mitral valve repair. METHODS Forty consecutive, unselected patients (mechanical valve replacement n=20, mean age 65+/-14; valve repair ...

SEE PAGE 2858 T he perfect heart valve substitute has not yet been developed and matching the patient to existing options to optimize survival and reduce valve-related complications remains challenging. The choices for aortic valve replacement (AVR) are mechanical valves, bioprosthetic valves, and biological valves such as aortic valve homograft and the Ross procedure (pulmonary autograft). The...

Computational modeling is an excellent tool with which to investigate the mechanics of the aortic heart valve. The setting of the heart valve presents complex dynamics and mechanical behavior in which solid structures interact with a fluid domain. There currently exists no standard approach, a variety of strategies have been used to address the different aspects of modeling the heart valve. Dif...

Heart valve prostheses are used to replace native heart valves which that are damaged because of congenital diseases or due to ageing. Biological prostheses made of bovine pericardium are similar to native valves and do not require any anticoagulation treatment, but are less durable than mechanical prostheses and usually fail by tearing. Researches are oriented in improving the resistance and d...