Clinical problems in patients with prosthetic heart valves.
Information from the UK Heart Valve Registry, which was established in 1986 and receives data from all centres in the National Health Service, shows that more than 5,000 artificial heart valves are implanted each year in Britain and that almost two-thirds of these are mechanical. This article is intended as a practical outline of the clinical problems and complications which may occur.
Mazeika
P
P
Clinical Cardiology Unit, Hammersmith Hospital, London.
Oakley
C M
CM
D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology*; D011475:Prosthesis Failure