Background: Recent advances in technology have provided the opportunity for off-line analysis of digital video-clips of two-dimensional (2-D) echocardiographic images.

In the majority of patients no significant changes occurred in the degree of MR in native valve, but we found that if the aortic valve was deeply implanted in the left ventricle outflow tract, a worsening in MR can be observed. A mitral stenosis development must be sought in patients with heavy calcifications of the anterior leaflet.

No abstract

Both the stented Trifecta and stentless Freestyle prostheses provide excellent hemodynamic results during physical stress in patients with a small aortic annulus. Our study confirms that Trifecta implantation results in low gradients at rest and during exercise and that the performance of Trifecta is similar to that of a stentless valve.

The Freestyle stentless valve was not superior to the Trifecta valve in terms of kinematics and functions more like a stented bioprosthesis.