A. Homografts Homografts are valves transplanted from another human. There are no problems with rejection of the valve and patients do not require any type of immunosuppresive therapy. Homograft valves are donated either by patients or by their families. The valve must be thawed overnight before it is used. This means that a surgeon must know in advance what size and type of valve he is going to use.
Homograft valves tend to have good hemodynamics and good durability.
It is not clear that either their durability or their hemodynamic performance is better than ordinary tissue valves. Homografts are also technically harder to put in for a surgeon than standard tissue valves such as the Hancock or Carpentier-Edwards valves. In addition, since the valve must be thawed overnight, the patient's valve size must be known before hand. As with heart transplants, homograft availability is limited by donor availability. Autografts are valves taken from the same patient in which the valve is implanted.