Echocardiographic characteristics of transprosthetic blood peak velocity in the Sorin Bicarbon bileaflet prosthetic heart valve

Abstract

The Bicarbon prosthetic heart valve with two curved leaflets is designed so that the blood flows through the three orifices are parallel jets of equal size. This study was conducted to confirm that the Bicarbon valve functions clinically as designed. Forty-three patients underwent valve replacement with the Bicarbon valve. Forty-eight Bicarbon valves were implanted: 25 valves in the mitral position and 23 in the aortic position. Peak blood flow velocity through the three prosthetic orifices was measured postoperatively by Doppler echocardiography. The three flow jets through the prosthesis were parallel. The velocity through the lateral orifice was 2.33±0.38 m/min, and the velocity through the central orifice was 2.14±0.43 m/min at the aortic position (P>0.05). The velocity through the lateral orifice was 1.72±0.06 m/min at the mitral position, and that through the central orifice was 1.73±0.06 m/min (P>0.05). Serum lactic acid dehydrogenase values were also lower than those of patients or whom another bileaflet prosthesis had been implanted. The results confirm that the Bicarbon prosthetic heart valve performs clinically as designed, producing three parallel blood flow jets with equal flow velocity.