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Cardiac valve prostheses made of metals, synthetic materials or a combination of these without including any biological component. These prostheses are usually made of strong and very durable materials such as titanium and pyrolytic carbon that may be combined with synthetic materials (e.g., silicone rubber, Teflon, polypropylene); the size and configurations used depend on the type of cardiac valve to be replaced (i.e., mitral, tricuspid, aortic, or pulmonary) and the anatomic characteristics of the particular patient. Artificial cardiac valves may use several different mechanical configurations such as caged ball, tilting disk, and bileaflet.
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