[Phonocardiographic and auscultatory patterns in patients with normally functioning Lillehei-Kaster aortic prosthesis...

42 patients who had undergone aortic valve replacement with the Lillehei-Kaster prosthesis were studied. Phonocardiographic and physical examinations were carried out on these patients to determine the typical auscultatory pattern of this prosthesis. In the majority of the cases, the first sound was slight. The second sound was made up of two components, both produced by the artificial valve. A prosthetic opening sound was also detected. Moreover, a sistolic ejection murmur was present in all of the patients, and a diastolic murmur in 25%.