Testers of new heart valve say it shows promise in early trials
Encouraging early clinical experience with a heart valve that uses a free-floating, pivoting disc design has been reported by a New York University group.Early postoperative catheterizations in the first 25 patients demonstrate the unit's "excellent function" as an aortic prosthetic valve, P. J. Starek, MD, told the recent American College of Cardiology meeting in Washington, DC.The low profile of the valve also makes it useful as a mitral replacement in patients with small ventricles, said Dr. Starek, a member of the group headed by surgeon C. Walton Lillehei, MD, which also includes J. H. Bloch, MD; J. R. Rees, MD; and F. J. Schoen, MD. R. L. Kaster, BEE, helped Dr. Lillehei develop the valve."Although it is too early to predict the long-term results... we believe (the valve) offers several distinct improvements in design,"