The objective of this study was to develop a pre-clinical large animal model for the in vivo hemodynamic testing of prosthetic valves in the aortic position without the need for cardiopulmonary bypass. Ten male pigs were used. A composite valved conduit was constructed in the operating room by implanting a prosthetic valve between two separate pieces of vascular conduits, which bypassed the asc...

Sir, Despite advances in prosthetic valve design, patients who undergo valve replacement are at risk of arterial thromboembolism and valve thrombosis. We present four cases where new antiplatelet agents have been used. A 61-year-old man with aortic valve endocarditis underwent early mechanical valve replacement. He developed mitral regurgitation and an aorticright-atrial fistula requiring surgi...

IN THE PAST THREE DECADES a striking change has occurred in the microbiological spectra, clinical features and natural history of infective endocarditis. Undoubtedly, the development of a host of potent antimicrobial agents and their widespread availability and, at times, indiscriminate use, have played a key role. Other important factors include the use of prosthetic heart valves, the increasi...

IN THE PAST THREE DECADES a striking change has occurred in the microbiological spectra, clinical features and natural history of infective endocarditis. Undoubtedly, the development of a host of potent antimicrobial agents and their widespread availability and, at times, indiscriminate use, have played a key role. Other important factors include the use of prosthetic heart valves, the increasi...

IN THE PAST THREE DECADES a striking change has occurred in the microbiological spectra, clinical features and natural history of infective endocarditis. Undoubtedly, the development of a host of potent antimicrobial agents and their widespread availability and, at times, indiscriminate use, have played a key role. Other important factors include the use of prosthetic heart valves, the increasi...

We reviewed the records of 20 patients with late prosthetic valve endocarditis who were hospitalized at the University of Iowa between 1985 and 1988. There were 14 men and six women, aged 20-80 (mean 57.9) years. The infected valves were mechanical in 11 patients (six aortic and five mitral) and bioprosthetic in the other nine. Echocardiography in 12 patients demonstrated vegetations in one. Am...

Platelet survival time and platelet adhesiveness and aggregation were examined in 16 patients with prosthetic mitral valves. Subsequently, nine patients were treated with sulfinpyrazone in doses of 400 mg and 800 mg/day, and the studies were repeated after a treatment period of 5 to 8 weeks. 51Chromium survival time was shortened in 15 of 16 patients, and the mean value for the entire group was...

Twenty-six major cardiovascular centers participated in a cooperative study of all cases of infective endocarditis occurring during a single calendar year to obtain an overview of infective endocarditis. The study was designed to learn which patients appear to be at highest risk to develop this infection after palliative or reparative cardiovascular surgery. Of 278 patients developing infective...

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY Conflicting data exist regarding the accuracy of echocardiographic Doppler gradients compared to invasive pressure gradients in the hemodynamic assessment of patients with prosthetic aortic valves. The study aim was to determine the correlation between these measurements for mechanical single- and double-leaflet aortic valve prostheses in vivo. METHODS Forty-fo...

AIMS To test the hypothesis that inter-observer variability accounts for the wide variation in reported prevalences of fibrin strands on prosthetic heart valves and to develop criteria for their identification and reporting. METHODS AND RESULTS A videotape with 30 sequences of prosthetic heart valves imaged by transoesophageal echocardiography and showing abnormalities such as strands, microb...