Color Doppler flow imaging in cardiac prosthetic valve dysfunction

Conclusion

In a previous study we reported the appearances of physiological anterograde flow of prosthetic heart valves with color Doppler.

These results demonstrate its value in the diagnosis of prosthetic valve dysfunction; it enables distinction between para- en transprosthetic regurgitation and a semi-quantitative assessment of the severity of the leak. Color flow mapping of the abnormal regurgitant flow is of great help in the follow-up of these patients.