Seven and one-half years' experience with the Medtronic-Hall valve

The Medtronic-Hall valve was developed to improve on existing tilting disc valves by reducing the risk of valvular thrombosis. This was to be accomplished by improving the hemodynamics and by allowing the disc to move downstream away from the orifice during opening. The valve was also designed for maximal structural durability to minimize the risk of mechanical breakage. With more than 1,000 Medtronic-Hall valves implanted since 1977, the clinical results have been very encouraging. The rates of thromboembolism and thrombosis are low, there have been no mechanical failures and the hemodynamic function, especially with the smaller valves, is excellent.