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Per the instructions for use (ifu), structural valve deterioration (wear, fracture, calcification, leaflet tear/tearing from the stent posts, leaflet retraction, suture line disruption of components of a prosthetic valve, thickening, stenosis), and device degeneration are known potential risks associated with bioprosthetic heart valves.The ifu cautions that accelerated deterioration of the valve may occur in patients with an altered calcium metabolism.Long-term durability has not been established for the valve.Regular medical follow-up is advised to evaluate valve performance.Structural valve deterioration (svd) may be manifested as stenosis with thickened leaflets.Svd may be mild and not require any intervention or it may be moderate to severe.It can cause the heart to work harder to eject blood from the ventricle.Depending on the severity it could be an indication for valve replacement or medical intervention.Tissue calcification is a very common failure mode.The mechanisms for bioprosthetic heart valve tissue calcification are not yet fully understood.Many factors can contribute to the onset and propagation of calcification including patient-related (e.G., patient age, disease state, immune status, and other co-morbidities), pharmacological, and intrinsic properties of the valve itself.It is widely understood that patients with chronic renal disease and prior history of calcific stenosis of the native valve may be predisposed to bioprosthetic calcification.During the manufacturing process, all sapien thv valves are 100% visually inspected for defects and 100% functionally tested for proper coaptation under physiological backpressure conditions prior to release for distribution.Therefore, it is highly unlikely that a manufacturing defect or device malfunction contributed to the event.In this case, despite multiple investigational attempts, it was not possible to obtain additional details regarding this event.Due to limited information, a definitive root cause was unable to be determined at this time.At the time of this report, the information available does not reasonably suggest there was a malfunction of the edwards device or that the use or miss-use of the device caused or contributed to the event.There is no allegation of deficiencies related to the identity, quality, durability, reliability, safety, labeling effectiveness, or performance of this edward device.Should additional information become available, the information will be reviewed, and the file updated accordingly.Complaint histories for all reported events are reviewed against trending control limits monthly, and any excursions above the control limits are assessed and documented as part of this monthly review.As such, neither a product risk assessment, nor corrective or preventative actions are required at this time.
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