Prosthetic valves in the pulmonary position

Abstract

In this thesis the prosthetic heart valve in the pulmonary position has been analyzed. The results in this thesis demonstrate that there is a need for a suitable valve for the pulmonary position, tailored to the physiological circumstances of the right ventricle and the young age of this population. Currently available valve types each have its own limitation that tend to be more prone in the pulmonary position. We have demonstrated that a mechanical prosthetic valve can be a suitable option for pulmonary valve replacement. furthermore, we have demonstrated that the hemodynamic conditions in which the valve is placed influence the functionality of valve. Our results showed that the quality of life of congenital heart disease patients with a prosthetic valve is comparable to the general population. Overall, we can conclude that the use of prosthetic valves in the pulmonary valve is suboptimal, while life expectancy increases and in particular the Quality of Life of patients with a pulmonary prosthetic valve does not seem to be affected.