Surgical considerations for avoiding disc interference based on a ten-year experience with the Medtronic Hall heart...

All low profile valves are susceptible to problems related to implant technique, especially immobilization of the occluder. Because the disc-valve-ring clearance may be only a fraction of a millimeter, this complication is a small yet ever present possibility of which the surgeon must be aware. Special care must be taken when implanting low profile valves to eliminate the possibility of disc interference caused by suture ends or intracardiac structures. The surgeon can minimize the risk of disc immobilization by careful attention to precautionary surgical measures described herein.