Sewing ring healing of cardiac valve prostheses

A study of the healing of fabric sewing rings of cardiac valve prostheses is essentially a study of the replacement of thrombus by fibrous tissue, and the ultimate fate of the resultant scar. Our observations are drawn from personal studies of the healing of 48 different types of valve replacements in 300 calves and dogs over the past six and one-half years. None of the experimental animals received anticoagulant therapy postoperatively. The studies have included 7 different types of Starr-Edwards ball valves; 4 types of guided disc valves, and 4 types of guided flow ball valves of our own design, which incorporate the concept of the hidden sewing ring; ball valves constructed of 17 different alloys* with similar sewing rings; Hufnagel discoid valves; Gott hinged-leaflet valves; and many types of tissue and prosthetic leaflet or cusp valves. Pertinent factors governing the healing of the sewing rings of prosthetic valves have been observed. Correlation can be drawn between these factors and the healing of