Objective: To determine the Doppler derived mean gradients of mechanical & Bio-prosthesis in early postoperative period in patients undergoing valve replacement at a tertiary care cardiac centre.

Methods: One-hundred-ninetynine (n = 199) consecutive patients who underwent mitral, aortic or dual (mitral and aortic) valve replacement by mechanical prosthesis or Bio-prosthesis were studied. Base line Doppler echo study was done with in 7 days after surgery (pre-discharge) and derived mean gradients were assessed and recorded.

Results: Doppler derived mean gradient for different mitral prosthesis of ATSAP prosthesis, St Jude mechanical prosthesis, TTK Chitra disc mechanical prosthesis & Bio-prosthetic valves were 5.5 ± 0.77 mm Hg, 5.0 ± 0.01 mm Hg, 9 ± 0.3 mm Hg and 5.0 ±1.3 mm Hg respectively and mean gradient for different aortic prosthesis of ATSAP prosthesis, St Jude mechanical prosthesis, TTK Chitra disc mechanical prosthesis & Bio-prosthetic valves were 9 ± 0.07 mm Hg, 13.35 ± 4.14 mm Hg, 9.5 ± 0.5 mm Hg and 10.3.0 ± 0.5 mm Hg respectively.

Conclusions: The study assessed baseline gradients across mitral and aortic mechanical prosthesis/Bio-prosthesis in valve replacement patients & pointing out the need to perform routinely an accurate baseline Doppler-echocardiography evaluation early after surgery used as reference gradients to assess prosthetic valve function at follow-up.