title: Mechanical heart valve prostheses: identification and evaluation (erratum).
abstract: Mechanical heart value prostheses have been in use since the 1950s. Many prostheses have been used for a while and then discontinued. Today, there are a large number and variety of prostheses in use and an even larger variety that are in place in patients. These may be explanted at any time for a number of reasons. It is essential for the practicing pathologist to be able to identify the prosthesis and be aware of some of its reported complications and modes of failure. This article, and a second one on bioprosthetic heart valves, is designed as a ready reference guide to heart valve prostheses, their important identifying features, their common complications, and modes of failure. It should help in the accurate identification of explanted prosthetic valves and more definitive reports. This accuracy of identification as well as tracking of abnormalities noted will, we hope, permit the identification of new failure modes and the recording of causes of failure of new (or even modified) prosthetic heart valves.
authors: Department of Pathology E4-322, Toronto General Hospital, Toronto, ON, Canada M5G 2C4. jagdish.butany@uhn.on.ca
authors: Jagdish
authors: J
authors: Butany
authors: Manmeet S
authors: MS
authors: Ahluwalia
authors: Craig
authors: C
authors: Munroe
authors: Cristina
authors: C
authors: Fayet
authors: Christina
authors: C
authors: Ahn
authors: Patrick
authors: P
authors: Blit
authors: Charis
authors: C
authors: Kepron
authors: Roberto J
authors: RJ
authors: Cusimano
authors: Richard L
authors: RL
authors: Leask
mesh_terms: D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D011474:Prosthesis Design