Abstract
CarboMedics (CM) valve is bileaflet mechanical heart valve which is similar to St. Jude Medical (SJM) heart valve. We used these bileaflet valves in the patients with mitral regurgitation and compared CM valve (n=10) with SJM valve (n=23) concerning hemodynamics, valve funcion at early period of 1 to 3 month after surgery, and other complications at late period after MVR. In CM group, NYHA functional classification, CTR, CI and PCWP improved in all patients after MVR as well as in SJM group. There is no significant difference between these two groups. The values of valve area, pressure gradient, and peak flow velocity at mitral position after MVR with CM valve are not significant difference compared with SJM valve. There were no incidences of hemolysis, thrombosed valve, thromboembolism, paravalvular leakage, PVE, and valve failure in CM group. There was one incidence of paravalvular leakage (0.075%/patient-year) in SJM group. These results indicated that CM heart valve was excellent because of nothing any complications and keeping good hemodynamics as well as SJM prosthetic valve after MVR. But we couldn't certify any superiority of CM valve as compare with SJM valve in prevention of hemolysis and other complications.
