title: Early Doppler-echocardiography evaluation of 597 prosthetic aortic valves.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This study was designed to describe the Doppler-echocardiography normal values in the early postoperative phase for Carpentier-Edwards Perimount Aortic Heart Valve bioprosthesis (CEP), St. Jude Medical (SJM) or Medical Regent (SJMR) Mechanical Heart Valves, evaluated by a single experienced echo-laboratory.
  
  
  METHODS
  Five hundred and ninety-seven consecutive patients in our hospital, who had had a CEP, a SJM or SJMR-17 mm implanted due to aortic stenosis, underwent a control Doppler-echocardiography evaluation 4-7 days after surgery. Hemodynamic performance of SJM, SJMR and CEP were accurately described, evaluating flow-dependent (trans-prosthetic velocities and gradients) and flow-independent (effective orifice area, indexed effective orifice area and Doppler velocity index) Doppler-echocardiography parameters.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 597 patients 50.6% were women (n = 302). Mean age was 66.3 +/- 11.7 years. Mean body surface area (BSA) was 1.76 +/- 0.22 m. Mean ejection fraction was 55.3 +/- 10.3%. Two hundred and sixty CEPs and 337 St. Jude mechanical valves (301 SJM and 36 SJMR size-17) were implanted. Comparing size-by-size SJM to CEP, the former were basically less flow obstructive.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Our data confirm the wide range of variability, pointing out the need to perform routinely an accurate baseline Doppler-echocardiography evaluation of the hemodynamic profile of prosthetic aortic valves, including flow-dependent and independent parameters, to allow an adequate interpretation at follow-up.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Science, S. Camillo-Forlanini Hospital, Rome, Italy. giovanni.minardi@libero.it
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Minardi
authors.forename: Paolo G
authors.initials: PG
authors.lastname: Pino
authors.forename: Carla C
authors.initials: CC
authors.lastname: Manzara
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Pulignano
authors.forename: Giuseppe N
authors.initials: GN
authors.lastname: Viceconte
authors.forename: Giulio G
authors.initials: GG
authors.lastname: Stefanini
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Gaudio
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Musumeci
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001021:Aortic Valve; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged