DISCREPANCIES BETWEEN DOPPLER AND CATHETER GRADIENTS ACROSS BILEAFLET AORTIC-VALVE PROSTHESES

Considerable discrepancies between Doppler and catheter gradients have been reported for normal St. Jude aortic valve prostheses.1 The differences between Doppler and catheter gradients have been shown to be due to localized high velocities between the 2 leaflets of the valve and to pressure recovery.2,3 It is unknown whether this phenomenon also occurs in other bileaflet valve prostheses. Differences in leaflet design may affect the flow characteristics in the central orifice of the valve and result in different Doppler-catheter gradient relations for different types of bileaflet valves. © 1993.