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Biological cardiac valve prostheses consisting of a whole cardiac valve harvested from human cadavers (i.e., allografts) or from animals (i.e., xenografts) such as pigs or, less frequently, cows. These prostheses are harvested and chemically processed before implantation; the valves are not usually mounted on stents. Whole valve biological prostheses may have several different sizes and types, depending on the cardiac valve to be replaced (e.g., mitral, tricuspid, aortic, or pulmonary) and the anatomic characteristics of the particular patient.
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