Surface Modifications of Mechanical Heart Valves

For more than four decades, the advent of prosthetic heart valves has revolutionized the treatment of cardiac valvular dysfunctions. Compared to patients with dysfunctional cardiac valves who did not undergo valve replacement, patients who did have cardiac valve replacement operations for severe valve disease have increased survival, enhanced cardiovascular function, and improved quality of life (1,2). More than 80 models of prosthetic heart valves have been introduced and used globally, and more than 60,000 cardiac valve replacement surgeries are performed annually in the United States alone (3).