Good 10-year performance for St Jude's heart valve:
This article was originally published in Clinica
Executive Summary
St Jude Medical has announced positive results for a 10-year follow-up study of its stentless tissue heart valve. The Toronto SPV valve, which was approved by the US FDA in 1997, was designed to improve the haemodynamic performance and extend durability over conventional stented tissue valves. The study of 447 patients found that, regarding durability, 88% of patients did not need a new valve implant. Also, 95% of patients were free of valve related deaths by the end of the study. According to the St Paul, Minnesota firm, clinical performance was maintained and patient satisfaction was high.