One hundred and six patients who left hospital after Starr-Edwards ball valve replacements have beenfollowedfor a period of 6 months tO 4 years. All patients were maintained on oral anticoagulant therapy so that a prothrombin ratio of approximately I 7:I was attained. Four patients suffered minor nose bleeds. During the period offollow-up there have been 4 patients who have suffered embolic phe...

the development of the cardiac and pulmonary vascular complications which were observed in these three children. Nine to thirteen years ago when the original mitral valve prostheses were introduced, only the Starr-Edwards ballcage valve was available. Since that time a number of other artificial valves have been offered for clinical use.3 11 In view of the development of left ventricular wall t...

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 cineangiogr...

We describe two patients with Starr-Edwards mitral valve replacements who underwent pregnancy on oral anticoagulants and who were successfully delivered of live babies. The literature on pregnancy with prosthetic heart valves is reviewed. It is suggested that properly controlled oral anticoagulation should be continued until the onset of labour; the anticoagulant effect should then be reversed ...