Surgical Pericardial Valve Treats Aortic Valve Disease

A new bioprosthetic valve (BHV) provides innovative features designed to enhance clinical performance during aortic valve replacement.

The Medtronic (Dublin, Ireland) Avalus stented surgical aortic valve features a supra-annular design for excellent hemodynamic performance, intended to limit central regurgitation; an interior-mounted leaflet and frame designed to enhance durability; a low-profile valve design for easier placement; and a streamlined valve holder that includes a single, one-cut release in order to further facilitate ease of implantation. Avalus is also magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) safe, without restrictions.

“Medtronic is committed to advancing its surgical portfolio to offer cardiac surgeons a contemporary option to help meet the individual needs of this patient population,” said Rhonda Robb, vice president and general manager of Heart Valve Therapies business at Medtronic's. “By continuing to collaborate with leading cardiac surgeons around the world, we look forward to bringing heart valve replacement solutions like the Avalus valve to assist in expanding access and improving outcomes for clinical and patient communities.”

“The proven design elements of the Avalus valve were selected with physicians and patients in mind, striving to improve upon the latest generation of stented tissue valves while maintaining the gold standard in cardiac surgery,” said cardithoracic surgeon Robert Klautz, MD, of Leiden University Medical Center (The Netherlands). “Based on my early clinical experience, the unique design elements of the Avalus valve position it well toward meeting the expectations of durability for new tissue valves and helps ease implantation in a wide range of patient anatomies.”

BHVs are made of biologic tissues, making them safer to implant, functionally similar to the native aortic valve, and they do not require long-term anticoagulant therapy. The most commonly used BHVs are made from porcine aortic valves and calf pericardium. The valve tissue is sewn onto a fabric covered metal wire stent, made from a cobalt-nickel or another alloy. Dacron fabric covers the entire stent and a sewing skirt is fashioned and attached to the base of the wire stent.