title: Tissue and mechanical valves: mutually advantageous interplay.
abstract: This report is concerned with the dynamic interplay between glutaraldehyde preserved tissue valves (bioprostheses) and mechanical valves. These two classes of valve replacement devices are not competitive, but provide some nonoverlapping characteristic advantages and disadvantages. By proper selection, it may be possible to tailor the kind of device used for a particular patient, thus improving the overall results of bioprosthetic and mechanical valve replacement. Careful selection of patients according to age and the safety of anticoagulation should achieve a series of patients with mechanical and bioprosthetic valves that would be superior to a series in which all patients received a single device. Thus, these devices should be viewed as complimentary rather than competitive since the value of properly matching a prosthesis to the patient will be reflected in improved overall results with each class of prosthesis.
authors.affiliation: Heart Institute, St. Vincent Hospital and Medical Center, Portland, Oregon.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Starr
authors.forename: G L
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Grunkemeier
authors.forename: C L
authors.initials: CL
authors.lastname: Fessler
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001705:Bioprosthesis / Q000145:classification / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D016208:Databases, Factual / Q000592:standards; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005976:Glutaral / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis / Q000145:classification / Q000592:standards* / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D014021:Tissue Preservation / Q000379:methods; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants; D005976:Glutaral