Manufacturer-provided effective orifice area index charts and the prevention of prosthesis-patient mismatch.

Prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) occurs when an implanted prosthesis is too small relative to the patient's body surface area (BSA). However, mismatch can often be prevented by indexing the expected effective orifice area (EOA) of a prosthesis to the patient's BSA and then selecting the largest implantable prosthesis to avoid mismatch. Previously, prosthesis manufacturers have attempted to simplify this process by providing charts that include the expected EOA for their prosthesis, already indexed into an array of BSA values. One caveat with these charts is that the expected EOA data must truly be reliable, or the charts will misguide the implanting surgeon. Manufacturer-provided charts could be improved by standardizing the EOA data, with one potential source being the hemodynamic data submitted to the United States Food and Drug Administration. This review discusses PPM, manufacturer-provided EOA charts, and the regulation of EOA data.