[10 years' experience of heart valve bioprostheses. Present status and future development]

Long-term results of mitral valve replacement with bioprostheses of three original designs are overviewed. Refinement of the supporting framework design, and of modelling and conservation methodologies has made it possible to improve the survival rates and provided for the absence of specific complications in two groups of patients. Experimental evidence allows for anticipating an increase in the terms of bioprostheses performance.