Rev Esp Cardiol
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Comparative Study
[The evaluation of the mechanism of mitral bioprosthesis malfunction by transesophageal echocardiography].
The aim of this study was to assess the usefulness of transesophageal echocardiography for detection of the mechanism of dysfunction in bioprosthetic valves in the mitral position. ⋯ Transesophageal echocardiography is suited for the assessment of mechanism of mitral regurgitation and for the diagnosis of vegetations in most of patients with bioprosthetic mitral valves. Transesophageal echocardiography adds little information to the transthoracic study in the evaluation of patients with stenotic bioprosthetic mitral valves, particularly in calcified degeneration.