Polymeric heart valves made of polyurethane-based materials show promise as a viable, durable, and biocompatible alternative to traditional mechanical and bioprosthetic valves.
Answers are grounded in this paper and cite their sources.
Should not change valve selection in practice; leaves open translation of polymeric durability to human trials.
Heart valve replacement is fast becoming a routine surgery worldwide, and heart valve prostheses are today considered among the most widely used cardiovascular devices. Mechanical and bioprostheses have been the traditional choices to the replacement surgeries. However, such valves continue to expose patients to risks including thrombosis, infection and limited valve durability. In recent years, advances in polymer science give rise to an important new class of artificial heart valve made predominantly of polyurethane-based materials, which show improved biocompatibility and biostability. These polymeric heart valves have demonstrated excellent hemodynamic performance and good durability with excellent fatigue stress resistance. Advancements in the designs and manufacturing methods also suggested improved in the durability of polymeric heart valves. Animal studies with these valves have also shown good biocompatibility with minimal calcification of the valve leaflets. With these promising progresses, polymeric heart valves could be a viable alternative in the heart valve replacement surgeries in the near future.
No takes yet. Share an insight, caveat, or question.
Kuan et al. (2011) studied this question.
Synapse has enriched 10 related papers. Consider them for comparative context: