Petter Dyverfeldt1, John-Peder E. Kvitting1, Andreas Sigfridsson1, Stefan Franzn2, Ann F. Bolger3, Tino Ebbers1
1Linkping University and Center for Medical Image Science and Visualization (CMIV), Linkping, Sweden; 2Linkping University Hospital, Linkping, Sweden; 3University of California San Francisco, San Francisco, CA, USA
Turbulent flow is a sign of suboptimal hemodynamics in prosthetic heart valves. In this in-vitro study, MRI turbulence measurements were made in four common designs of prosthetic heart valves. Elevated values of turbulence intensity were detected downstream from all the studied valves. Distinct differences in the extent and degree of turbulence intensity were observed between the different valves. Non-invasive MRI turbulence measurements add a new dimension to the hemodynamic evaluation of current and future prosthetic heart valves.
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