Review of the global experience with the Medtronic-Hall valve

The Medtronic-Hall cardiac valvular prosthesis has been available for insertion since 1977. This report reviews the English language literature concerning that valve published during the last 14 years. The review is focused on three modes of assessment. First, experience with valve implantation techniques and their results has demonstrated that with careful attention to education of the implanting cardiac surgeon and increasing experience in the clinical use of the prosthesis, the incidence of occluder impingements has steadily fallen to 0.2% of total valve implantations in the United States in 1989. Secondly, hemodynamic assessment of the prosthesis with both invasive catheterization and Doppler echocardiography has demonstrated rest and exercise transvalve gradients and functional valve areas that are as good or better than those in other mechanical cardiac valvular prostheses. Finally, review of the long-term follow-up reports of the Medtronic-Hall prosthesis has demonstrated an acceptably low incidence of late valve-related complications and their consequences.