Novostia - Current Artificial Tissue Heart Valve

Tissue valves are made with animal tissue like porcine, bovine or equine, which undergo several chemical procedures in order to make them suitable for implantation in the human heart. They do not need anticoagulation therapy but are prone to premature structural deterioration. Their lifetimes may vary from patient to patient but typically last 10–15 years in adult patients13, and even lower in children and young adults13, 21, 47 and in the mitral position. Therefore, tissue valves carry an inherent risk of reoperation. Moreover, before complete prosthetic failure is identified and re-replacement is recommended, patients may be exposed during months or years to a significant malfunction of their tissue valve, which could induce adverse cumulative hemodynamic effects.