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Accuracy of sizers for aortic valve prostheses.
L I Bonchek1, M W Burlingame, B E Vazales
1Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Lancaster General Hospital, Pa.
The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery
|October 1, 1987
Summary
Accurate aortic anulus sizing is crucial for prosthetic valve implantation. Commercial valve sizers from major brands may be larger than labeled, impacting prosthesis selection.
Area of Science:
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Biomedical Engineering
- Medical Device Technology
Background:
- Accurate aortic anulus sizing is critical for successful prosthetic valve implantation.
- The largest possible prosthesis is generally preferred for optimal patient outcomes.
- Commercial valve sizers are assumed to be accurately labeled for clinical use.
Purpose of the Study:
- To evaluate the accuracy of nominal sizing for commonly used commercial valve sizers.
- To determine if discrepancies exist between labeled and actual sizes of prosthetic valve sizers.
- To assess the implications of sizer inaccuracies on prosthetic valve selection.
Main Methods:
- Measurement of the actual dimensions of commercial valve sizers.
- Comparison of measured sizes against their nominal (labeled) sizes.
- Analysis of sizers from St. Jude Medical, Björk-Shiley, and Ionescu-Shiley prostheses.
Main Results:
- Commercial valve sizers from St. Jude Medical, Björk-Shiley, and Ionescu-Shiley prostheses were found to be larger than their nominal sizes.
- Significant discrepancies were observed between labeled and actual sizer dimensions.
- These findings challenge the assumption of accurate labeling in current valve sizers.
Conclusions:
- The actual sizes of certain commercial valve sizers exceed their nominal values.
- Inaccurate valve sizer labeling can affect the selection of prosthetic valves.
- Clinicians should be aware of potential sizing discrepancies when choosing prosthetic valves.