| abstract |
A prosthetic valve having a stent structure with a prosthetic valve component secured therein is disclosed that includes a device for restricting expansion, i.e., an expansion restrictor device, disposed at a blood inflow end of the stent structure. The expansion restrictor device defines a deployed diameter of the stent structure to prevent the prosthetic valve from being over-sized upon initial deployment and/or from continued expansion in vivo. The expansion restrictor device may be a loop of suture, flexible line, thread or cord for defining or constraining a circumference of the prosthetic valve with a loop diameter that is less than or substantially equal to a diameter of the treatment site in which the prosthetic valve is to be deployed in vivo. |