Post-Approval Study Protocol of the St. Jude Medical Trifecta Valve

Late patient years are calculated from 31 days post-implant to the date of the last follow-up visits (or contact) or adverse events.

Late Patient year calculation:[(Number of late adverse events/sum of late patient years) x 100]

The New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional classification system relates symptoms to everyday activities and the patient's quality of life.

Class I. Patients with cardiac disease but without resulting limitation of physical activity.

Class II. Patients with cardiac disease resulting in slight limitation of physical activity. They are comfortable at rest.

Class III. Patients with cardiac disease resulting in marked limitation of physical activity. They are comfortable at rest.

Class IV. Patients with cardiac disease resulting in inability to carry on any physical activity without discomfort. Symptoms of heart failure or the anginal syndrome may be present even at rest.

The Criteria Committee of the New York Heart Association. Nomenclature and Criteria for Diagnosis of Diseases of the Heart and Great Vessels. 9th ed. Boston, Mass: Little, Brown & Co; 1994:253-256.

Gradient is the pressure difference from one side of the valve to the other side of the valve. For this study pressure is measured in mmHg.

Mean gradient for each patient is the average of the pressure differences from one side of the valve to the other side of the valve.

Mean gradient for each valve size (19mm, 21mm, 23mm, 25mm, 27mm, 29mm)is the average of the mean gradient for each patient with that valve size.