[Blood traumatization after heart valve replacement (author's transl)]

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Surgery
• Biomaterials Science
• Hematology

Context:

• Heart valve replacement and reconstruction are common procedures.
• Prosthetic heart valves can induce blood trauma, leading to hemolysis.
• Understanding device-specific hemolysis is crucial for patient outcomes.

Purpose:

• To evaluate blood traumatization and hemolysis in patients with different prosthetic heart valves.
• To compare hemolysis levels across various valve types and positions.
• To investigate the impact of paravalvular leakage on hemolysis.

Summary:

• A study of 47 patients assessed blood hemolysis after heart valve surgery.
• The Beall-valve exhibited the highest subclinical hemolysis, whereas the Björk-Shiley-valve showed the lowest.
• In aortic positions, the Björk-Shiley-valve performed better than the Starr-valve. Hemolysis was comparable between single Beall mitral and double valve replacements. Clinical hemolytic anemia occurred in 3 patients, two with paravalvular leakage, which normalized post-repair.

Impact:

• Identifies specific prosthetic heart valves associated with varying degrees of hemolysis.
• Highlights the significant hemolytic impact of paravalvular leakage.
• Provides evidence for improved hemolysis parameters following surgical repair of paravalvular leakage.