Comparative study of the hydrodynamic function of the size 19mm and 21mm St. Jude Medical Hemodynamic Plus Bileaflet Heart valves.

The hydrodynamic function of the St. Jude Medical Hemodynamic Plus Bileaflet Heart valve has been compared to the function of the standard St. Jude valve, the Carbomedics, Duromedics and the Monostrut valves in a pulsatile flow simulator. Size 19mm and 21mm tissue annulus diameter valves have been studied for use in small aortic roots. The size 19mm St. Jude hemodynamic Plus had lower forward flow pressure drops and lower total energy losses than the other valves studied. The size 19mm St. Jude Hemodynamic Plus valve should provide lower forward flow pressure drops and energy losses for the patient with a small aortic root, than the other types of prostheses included in the study.