[Follow-up of patients with valve prostheses using one- and two-dimensional echocardiography].

The authors examined by one- and two-dimensional echocardiography 28 patients with valvular prostheses, divided into groups, depending on the type and position of the prosthesis. They assessed the excursions of the disc or ball, the speed of opening and closure, time intervals A2-MVO and S1-AVO and the size of the left cardiac compartments. They investigated the occurrence of paradoxical movements of the interventricular septum, the diastolic wave in mitral prostheses and the flutter of the anterior cusp of the mitral valve in aortic prostheses. The results of these observations were confronted with data in the literature. In the investigated group of patients no pathological findings were detected. In mitral ball prostheses greater excursions were recorded than in eccentric disc-shaped prostheses. The closing speed was always greater than the opening speed. The A2-MVO interval was approximately double, as compared with S1-AVO. It was found that the paradoxical movement of the interventricular septum persists longer than reported in the literature. One-dimensional echophonocardiography and 2-D echocardiography retains its importance for the follow-up of patients with valvular prostheses.