[A case of mitral stenosis with a new open pivot bileaflet valve]

The ATS Medical Open Pivot Bileaflet Valve was developed by Villafana who also developed St. Jude Medical valve and put to the first clinical use by Sadeghi on May 4, 1992. Since then, its clinical uses have been made in cases more than 1,000 in the world, centering on Europe, and its usefulness has been reported elsewhere from the aspected of its durability, anti-thrombogenic property, hemolysis, less noise and surgical operability. ATS valve was developed with 9 characteristics as (1) open pivot; (2) removed Struts; (3) wide area orifice; (4) improved stillness; (5) improved durability; (6) small loss of energy; (7) rotating orifice; (8) x-ray impermeability of orifice; (9) and easily sutured orifice. A report is made here on our experience of a clinical case of mitral stenosis by ATS valve (the first case in Japan) on September 28, 1993.