What's that Ticking Sound?

You may not realize that a mechanical heart valve, by design, will make a closing sound (or click) as it opens and closes. This may be important to you if you are faced with heart valve replacement and your cardiac surgeon has determined you are a candidate for a mechanical valve. The type of mechanical valve, its size, and the patient's body height and weight are all factors in the intensity of noise heard.

Since the design and closing mechanisms are unique to each mechanical valve, some designs are more likely to produce more noticeable sounds than others. In a laboratory study of eight mechanical heart valves most commonly implanted, the CarboMedics Prosthetic Heart Valve was designated as one of the valves with the least audible sound.

Heart Valve Sound Comparison

Uses RealAudio™ and requires sound card and speakers

CarboMedics	St. Jude Medical	ATS Medical
Sorin Biomedica Bicarbon	Sorin Biomedica Carbocast	Medtronic Hall