[Intravascular hemolysis following prosthetic heart valve replacement: influence of type and position of artificial valves (author's transl)].

The present study reports a comparison of the incidence and degree of intravascular hemolysis between patients with disc prosthesis (Björk-Shiley tilting or Lillehei-Kaster pivoting) and patients with Starr-Edwards ball valves (types 1260, 6120) in mitral and aortic position, examined 7 to 30 days and 2,5 to 71 months postoperatively. Malfunction or paraprosthetic valve regurgitation could be excluded. Estimation of serum haptoglobin and serum lactate dehydrogenase activity as the most sensitive parameters indicated clinically inapparent hemolysis in all 4 groups, especially in patients with Starr-Edwards ball valves in aortic position (type 1260).