Silzone^TM Coating and Paravalvular Leak: An Independent, Randomized Study
Paul Herijgers MD, Marie-Christine Herregods MD, Anna Vandeplas MD, Bart Meyns MD, Willem Flameng MD

Silzone^TM -coated (n = 57) or standard (n = 55) St. Jude Medical Masters mechanical valves were implanted in 95 patients in a randomized study, independently of the valve manufacturer. Eighty-nine patients underwent control echocardiography. No differences were found in paravalvular leaks, neither were any major paravalvular leaks found, and no valves were explanted for any reason.