BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Although cerebral microemboli are often detected by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in mechanical heart valve patients, the clinical significance of such microemboli is unclear. The aim of this study was to determine the frequency and composition of cerebral microemboli in a prosthetic heart valve population and to correlate these findings to cerebrovascular symptoms...

Valve prostheses have played an important part in the past two decades in the management of patients with valvular heart disease. However, many of the devices used in valve replacement have introduced new clinical problems. This paper deals with some of the problems associated with valve replacement, including one not previously emphasized valve prosthesis-patient mismatch, which may cause obst...

Described herein are five patients who had double left-sided cardiac valve replacement for mitral and aortic valve stenosis resulting from two different etiologies: rheumatic heart disease, the cause of the mitral stenosis, and congenital heart disease (bicuspid valve), the underlying cause of the aortic stenosis.

It is estimated that the number of patients requiring heart valve replacement will triple over the next five decades. None of the current replacement valves can fully restore native valve function because they lack growth and remodeling capabilities. Heart valve tissue engineering is a promising technology to overcome these limitations. Various approaches are being employed, either aimed at dev...