Echocardiographic Evaluation of the Stent Mounted Aortic Bioprosthetic Valve in the Mitral Position In Vitro and In Vivo Studies

SUMMARY Echocardiograms were performed on 20 clinically stable patients following mitral valve replacement with glutaralde-hyde-preserved porcine aortic heterografts and three patients with antibiotic sterilized aortic homografts mounted in the mitral position. Such valves were evaluated in a test chamber at varied flow rates resulting in improved understanding of movements seen with the echocardiogram in vivo. The technique for recording the valvular stent and leaflets is described and a method for measuring several IMPROVEMENT has been demonstrated in most patients during the first few postoperative years after mitral valve replacement with the stent-mounted, glutaraldehyde-preserved porcine aortic California. diastolic averaged 2.4 ± cm/sec 1.9 3.3 ventricular outflow from the anterior portion of the stent to inter- ventricular septum averaged 1.5 ± 0.5 cm at end-diastole and 1.3 ± 0.6 cm at end-systole. Leaflet excursion averaged 1.5 ± 0.3 cm (with a range from 1.0 to to stent diameters averaged