[Ultrasonic diagnosis of the function of heart valve prostheses]

Ninety-six patients with mitral, aortic and tricuspid valvular prostheses were investigated echocardiographically, with a total of 116 assessments of prosthetic function between 8 days and 20 years after surgery, using one-dimensional, two-dimensional and dopplerographic techniques. Possibilities of prosthetic dysfunction diagnosis by these techniques are discussed.