{"id":415,"date":"2008-05-22T08:04:05","date_gmt":"2008-05-22T13:04:05","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/heart-surgery-blog\/2008\/05\/22\/stents-in-heart-valve-replacements\/"},"modified":"2025-06-08T16:40:37","modified_gmt":"2025-06-08T21:40:37","slug":"stents-in-heart-valve-replacements","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/heart-surgery-blog\/2008\/05\/22\/stents-in-heart-valve-replacements\/","title":{"rendered":"Stents In Tissue Heart Valve Replacements?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ever wonder why a stent is used in many forms of biological heart valve replacements?<\/p>\n

I just received a question from Keith that reads, “I will be going in for heart valve replacement next month. I have opted for a tissue valve replacement. My surgeon referenced a pig valve replacement<\/a> with a stent. What does this mean?”<\/p>\n

Good question Keith! A stent is used to support a replacement heart valve when positioned in the heart. Specifically, a stented tissue valve includes a frame (the stent) on which the valve is mounted. Ultimately, the stent supports the leaflet tissue (e.g. mitral valve leaflets<\/a>) that opens-and-closes as blood flows through the heart.<\/p>\n

In many valves, the stent is covered by a fabric ring, known as the sewing ring. The surgeon implants the valve by suturing the sewing ring into the patient\u2019s heart.<\/p>\n

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\"Medtronic<\/div>\n

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Above you can see an example of the Medtronic Hancock\u00ae II heart valve replacement device which uses a stent.<\/p>\n

Alternatively, a stentless valve is often an actual heart valve taken from either a human donor (homograft)<\/a> or a pig. The Medtronic Freestyle\u00ae aortic root bioprosthesis is a stentless valve consisting of the porcine aortic valve and a portion of the pig\u2019s aortic root. This valve contains the “natural” leaflets found in the animal’s original heart valve. A stentless valve is sewn directly into the heart to take the place of the patient\u2019s valve.<\/p>\n

I hope this helps explain a little more about stents in heart valve replacements.<\/p>\n

Related Links:<\/p>\n