J.Jpn. Surg. Soc.. 86(9): 1011-1014, 1985

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Report on the annual meeting

CURRENT STATUS OF CARDIAC VALVE PROSTHESIS

Cardiac valve replacement has been clinically applied for the final therapeutic management of valvular heart disease for the last over 20 years. Cardiac valve prostheses are mainly divided into mechanical and biological valves. As mechanical valve, tilting disc valve or bi-leaflet center opening valve made of antithrombogenic and durable pyrolytic carbon are now widely used. As biological valve, porcine aortic valve or bovine pericardial valve treated with glutaraldehyde-tanning for maintenance of cusp durability and pliability are exclusively used at the present time. However, valve related complications such as thrombus formation, embolic event, infection, hemolysis and valve sound in mechanical valve and valve failure and infection in biological valve are unavoidable clinical problems. Therefore, the cardiac valve prostheses should be selected on the basis of patients medical, social and geographical conditions. It is still necessary to develop the ideal prosthesis without the late complications in connection with decision of optimum surgical timing, and technological improvement of materials and structural design.

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