Cardiac surgeons at the University of Szeged are the first in Europe to implant a bioprosthetic heart valve

The Department of Cardiac Surgery at the Albert Szent-Györgyi Clinical Center of the University of Szeged was the first in Europe—and the third in the world—to perform an innovative surgical procedure in which a vascular prosthesis containing a special biologically derived heart valve was implanted in two young patients suffering from congenital heart disease.

What makes this procedure novel is that Dr. Gábor Bari, department head and assistant professor, and Dr. Sándor Varga, assistant professor did not implant the bioprosthetic heart valve in its original anatomical location as specified by the manufacturer, but rather in a different position. This innovative solution is expected to provide more lasting results for patients, reduce the need for subsequent heart surgeries, and contribute to improving their quality of life in the long term.

The procedure was performed on two young patients who, due to their congenital heart disease, had undergone multiple heart surgeries since childhood. Shortly after the surgery, both patients reported feeling excellent and shared their experience. They said they feel significantly better following the procedure and are confident that this new solution will ensure proper heart function for many years to come.

The new biological valve is made of bovine pericardium. Thanks to a special manufacturing process, the valve triggers minimal local inflammatory response and accumulates very little calcium, so it is expected to function properly for a longer period of time.

Dr. Gábor Bari was introduced to this new device in 2025 during a professional visit to California at a presentation by one of the world’s oldest valve manufacturers. The specialists in Szeged subsequently developed this new application, which allows the vascular prosthesis to be implanted not in its original anatomical location but in a different position.

A special regulatory approval was required to perform the procedure, but thanks to their scientifically validated professional justification, the Hungarian authorities granted the so-called ’deviation permit.’ Thus, barely 10 months after the manufacturer unveiled the new device, specialists at the University of Szeged had already successfully performed the first implantations in Europe.

Dr. Gábor Bari emphasized that for patients with congenital heart disease, every additional open-heart surgery significantly increases the risk of complications; therefore, a key goal is to use state-of-the-art, long-term solutions that can reduce the number of future procedures.