Can regurgitant flow damage the left atrial endothelium in patients with prosthetic mechanical heart valves?

Background And Aim Of The Study: Previous in-vitro studies of mechanical heart valves (MHVs) in the closed position demonstrated the formation of regurgitant flows, with bubbles and jets forming vortices during each systole. The study aim was to determine whether the regurgitant flow observed in patients with MHVs can damage the left atrial endothelium, due to shear stresses exerted on the endothelial layers. This objective has been accomplished by appropriate in-vitro simulation experiments.