Prosthetic mitral valve replacement in children

Nine children with severe mitral valvular disease of varied etiologies had replacement oftheir valve with a Starr-Edwards ball-cage prosthesis. There was one death in the immediate postoperative period due to clot formation within the prosthesis, and one late death of unknown cause. The survivors have had dramatic symptomatic and objective evidence of postoperative improvement. The causes of mitral valvular disease in childhood are discussed, and the hazards of artificial valve implantation are weighed against the benefits of the procedure.