The Biomed caged-ball cardiac valve prosthesis. A study of 120 implants.

The purpose of this study was to report our experience with 120 prosthetic valves implanted in 105 patients over an 8-year period. Their preoperative status was compared at an average follow-up period of 4 years (range 1 to 6 years) with the postoperative results. We conclude that the Mexican-made valves (Biomed) meet the highest international quality standards: they are well tolerated by the patients; their performance is excellent and no postoperative dysfunction of the valves was ever detected.

[Flow characteristics in 3 kinds of heart valve prosthesis].

Transvalvular turbulence caused by the blood flow in implanted cardiac valvular prosthesis is the cause of thrombosis at the post-valvular region. The literature in this connection indicates that thromboembolic complications are more common with the tilting disc mechanical valves. In order to study the turbulence caused by porcine biological prosthetic valves, by a caged-ball Biomed mechanical valve and by a tilting disc Björk-Shiley valve, a device was developed which permits to visualize and to photograph flow characteristics in the three types of valves with the purpose of determining the degree of turbulence generated in each case.

[Cerebral venous thrombosis].

A review of cerebral phlebothrombosis using material from the pathology departments of the National Institute of Cardiology and the General Hospital in Mexico City is presented. The most frequent causes found were: post partum. Secondary to congenital heart disease and associated with infections.