Effect of the Different Mechanical Mitral Valve Sounds on the Patients' Quality of Life

Background The purpose of this study was to compare the opening and closing sounds of three different mechanical mitral valves and to analyze their effects on the quality of life of patients. Methods Ninety patients who underwent mechanical mitral valve replacement (MVR) were divided into three groups: those who received Advancing the Standard (ATS), St. Jude Medical (SJM), or Carbomedics (CM) mechanical valves. The sound pressure of the different valves was measured with a microphone. A detailed, self-designed questionnaire with a 1 to 10 analog scale and the 36-item Short Form Health Survey (SF-36) score was used to assess the quality of life of the patients. Result The sound pressure measured by ATS was 64.4 ± 3.1 dB, while that measured by SJM, and CM was 64.5 ± 4.7 and 67.2 ± 5.3 dB, respectively. The overall subjective interference score in the ATS group was the lowest compared with that in the SJM and CM groups (ATS: 1.3 ± 0.9 dB, SJM: 3.9 ± 1.6 dB, CM: 4.1 ± 1.5 dB). Relatives and nonfamily members of the ATS group also had the lowest analog scale scores. Specific questions showed that the ATS valve had the least impact on sleep and daily life (impact on sleep: ATS: 4/30, SJM: 9/30, CM: 11/30, impact on daily life: ATS: 2/30, SJM: 8/30, CM: 8/30). The SF-36 score showed that there were significant differences in social functioning, role-emotional, mental health, and vitality. Conclusion Patients receiving ATS mechanical MVR may be less disturbed by valve noise than those receiving SJM or CM mechanical MVR in a single Chinese cardiac center.