Measuring Effective Orifice Area in Patients After Aortic Valve Replacement Using Phase-Contrast Cine Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Haruhiko Machida¹, Eiko Ueno¹, Mikihiko Fujimura¹, Kazufumi Suzuki¹, Satoru Morita¹, Ai Masukawa¹, Masami Hirata¹, Shinya Kojima¹, Shoji Sasaki¹, Kiyoharu Nakano¹, Yoshiaki Komori²

Although effective orifice area is usually measured by transthoracic ultrasonography after aortic valve replacement to assess patient-prosthesis mismatch, its accuracy remains unclear. We measured effective orifice area using a continuity equation on phase-contrast cine MR imaging, to our knowledge, an approach not previously reported; then compared those measurements to reference values. We believe that this MR technique is clinically feasible for relatively easy and accurately measuring effective orifice area in patients after aortic valve replacement.