Normal and abnormal prosthetic valve function as assessed by Doppler echocardiography.

Doppler echocardiography was performed in 136 patients with a normally functioning prosthetic valve in the aortic (n = 59), mitral (n = 74) and tricuspid (n = 3) positions. These included patients with St. Jude (n = 82), Björk-Shiley (n = 18), Beall (n = 13), Starr-Edwards (n = 7) or tissue (n = 16) valves. Peak and mean pressure gradients across the prostheses were measured using the simplified Bernoulli equation. The prosthetic valve orifice (PVO, in square centimeters), only in the mitral position, was calculated by the equation: PVO = 220/pressure half-time. In the aortic position, the St. Jude valve had a lower peak velocity (2.3 +/- 0.6 m/s, range 1.0 to 3.9), peak gradient (22 +/- 12 mm Hg, range 4 to 61) and mean gradient (12 +/- 7 mm Hg, range 2 to 32) than the other valves (p less than 0.05) when compared with Starr-Edwards). In the mitral position, the St. Jude valve had the largest orifice (3.0 +/- 0.6 cm2, range 1.8 to 5.0) (p less than 0.0001 compared with all other valves). Insignificant regurgitation was commonly found by pulsed mode Doppler technique in patients with a St. Jude or Björk-Shiley valve in the aortic or mitral position and in patients with a Starr-Edwards or tissue valve in the aortic position. In 17 other patients with a malfunctioning prosthesis (four St. Jude, two Björk-Shiley, four Beall and seven tissue valves) proven by cardiac catheterization, surgery or autopsy, Doppler echocardiography correctly identified the complication (significant regurgitation or obstruction) in all but 2 patients who had a Beall valve. It is concluded that 1) the St. Jude valve appears to have the most optimal hemodynamics; mild regurgitation can be detected by the Doppler technique in normally functioning St. Jude and Björk-Shiley valves in the aortic or mitral position and in Starr-Edwards and tissue valves in the aortic position, and 2) Doppler echocardiography is a useful method for the detection of prosthetic valve malfunction, especially when the St. Jude, Björk-Shiley and tissue valves are assessed.