Practical Approach to the Evaluation of Prosthetic Mechanical and Tissue Replacement Heart Valves

Mechanical and bioprosthetic substitute heart valves have dramatically improved life expectancy and quality of life in patients with valvular heart disease. Complications of substitute heart valves are a relatively infrequent occurrence, often due to thrombosis, infection, or structural/mechanical failure. It is important to accurately identify and systematically evaluate prosthetic heart valves when encountered as surgical pathology specimens or in the autopsy setting.