[Supervision of patients with artificial heart valves (author's transl)]

Valvulotomy mortality is 2--5% depending on the age and the condition of the myocardium. Ball valves, disk valves and biological prostheses are most commonly used. The most important complications of valve prostheses include bacterial endocarditis, loosening of the artificial valve, hemolytic anemias and thromboembolism. Presently, the Hancock prosthesis gives the best results. Thrombus formation, the most frequent complication of ball and disk valves--sometimes in spite of anticoagulation--does not occur with the biological prosthesis. Strict anticoagulant therapy and supervision is therefore not necessary. Should the Hancock prosthesis continue to prove satisfactory, it is to be hoped that resistance to early operation will be overcome and that the most important cause of failure, valvulotomy in an irreversible damaged heart, will thus be eliminated.