Heart Valves in Europe: The Mix Will Change

01 Mar 2008

According to "European Markets for Heart Valve Repair and Replacement Products," Medtech Insight's recent report, in the coming years growth in the heart valve industry will be somewhat flat in Europe-with a compound annual growth rate in the overall number of procedures of 1.6% between now and 2013. However, that number reflects a drop in the number of mechanical valves used, and a rise in tissue valves, which are enjoying increased uptake with each generation of technological improvements.

The ideal heart valve replacement doesn’t yet exist. Mechanical valves certainly beat out all alternatives when it comes to durability; most mechanical heart valves last for the lifetime of the patients in whom they’re implanted and indeed, in vivo wear analysis results hint that mechanical heart valves could function reliability for centuries. Placed in the human body, however, they bear the risk of clotting and sudden death, requiring patients to take blood thinning drugs forever. These drugs carry a different set of risks and drawbacks, namely their cost, the risk of bleeding, and the need for dietary restrictions and regular therapeutic drug monitoring.

The ideal replacement valve would function just like the heart’s native valve, and tissue valves get close to this goal;...