Key result
Polyurethane heart valves have significant potential as replacement cardiac valves, though historical progress has been limited by challenges with durability and biocompatibility.
Advances in materials and manufacturing techniques hold potential to overcome historical durability and biocompatibility challenges of polyurethane heart valves.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Does not yet support clinical use of polyurethane valves; leaves open whether material advances can overcome historical durability challenges.
Replacement cardiac valves have been in use since the 1950s, and today represent the most widely used cardiovascular devices. One type of replacement cardiac valve, the polyurethane heart valve, has been around since the first stages of prosthesis development, and has made advances along with the development of biological and mechanical heart valves over the past 60 years. During this time, problems with durability and biocompatibility have held back polyurethane valves, but progress in materials and manufacturing techniques can lead the way to a brighter future for these devices and their huge potential. This article describes previous efforts to manufacture polyurethane heart valves, highlights the challenges of manufacturing and explains the factors influencing durability and successful functioning of such a device.
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Kütting et al. (2011) conducted a review in Valvular heart disease. Polyurethane heart valves was evaluated. Polyurethane heart valves have significant potential as replacement cardiac valves, though historical progress has been limited by challenges with durability and biocompatibility.
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