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This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Author home page(s): James D. Fonger Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Fonger, J. D. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Fonger, J. D. Related Collections Valve disease Related Article

Ann Thorac Surg 2001;72:762-763
© 2001 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

Invited commentary

^a Lenox Hill Hospital, New York, NY, USA

e-mail: jfonger@heartnet.org

The Silzone experience with mechanical heart valves suggests important lessons for new medical device development. Silver had been previously shown in vitro to be an effective broad-spectrum antimicrobial agent. In vitro toxicology and biocompatibility tests were satisfactory. In vivo chronic animal testing was performed with a subcutaneous pocket model to demonstrate reduced inflammation and infection of implanted inoculated patches treated with silver compared to controls. Safety and efficacy concerns appeared to have been addressed. When ion beam-assisted vapor deposition of silver on polyster fibrils was shown to result in a uniform and durable coating of the valve sewing ring, the way appeared to be cleared for the introduction of a relatively insignificant change to an excellent existing mechanical heart valve. The . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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The St. Jude "Silzone" valve: midterm results in treatment of active endocarditis

Ralf G. Seipelt, Jaime F. Vazquez-Jimenez, Ingrid M. Seipelt, Andreas Franke, Khaled Chalabi, Friedrich A. Schoendube, and Bruno J. Messmer
Ann. Thorac. Surg. 2001 72: 758-762. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]