Cineangiographic studies in patients with Starr-Edwards aortic valves.

RECENT REPORTS of postoperative clinical and cardiac catheterization studies in patients after replacement of their aortic valves with a ball-valve prosthesis have included adequate clinical and hemodynamic measurements both at rest and during exercise.'-6 There is, however, little information regarding the competency of these valves as determined angiographically, since aortic root cineangiography was not carried out routinely. In this study, aortic root cineangiography was performed in 21 consecutive survivors of replacement of the aortic valve with a Starr-Edwards ball-valve prosthesis. Evaluation of the films has permitted certain conclusions, pertaining to the competency of ballvalve function in a consecutive series of patients and to the necessity of angiographic studies for complete postoperative evaluation.