Method of implanting a prosthetic device and suturing member therefor

A suturing member and heart valve adapted to be connected to an annular portion of heart tissue surrounding an opening formed by the removal of a natural heart valve comprising:

• a heart valve having a base with an inlet side, an outlet side, an outside wall and an inside wall surrounding a passage connecting the inlet side with the outlet side thereby allowing blood to flow through the base, said outside wall having a radial outwardly directed first annular flange adjacent the outlet side of the base and a radial outwardly directed second annular flange adjacent the inlet side of the base, an annular first groove located between said first and second flanges of the outside wall, valving means cooperating with the base to restrict the flow of blood in one direction through said passage, a suturing member surrounding and mounted on the outside wall of the base, said suturing member having a flexible plastic core, a fabric cover surrounding the core, and annular means surrounding an annular portion of the cover to hold the suturing member on the outside wall of the base, said core and cover having an annular body, a radial outwardly directed first annular flexible flange extending outwardly from the body adjacent the outlet side of the base, said first annular flexible flange having an outer surface extended generally coextensive with the transverse plane of the outlet side of the base, a radial outwardly directed second annular flexible flange spaced from the first flexible flange and extended outwardly from the body adjacent the inlet side of the base, said second annular flexible flange having an outer surface extended generally coextensive with the transverse plane of the inlet side of the base, said first and second annular flexible flanges forming with the body an annular second groove between said first and second annular flexible flanges for accommodating the annular portion of the heart tissue surrounding the opening in the heart to locate the base at about the midpoint of the annulus of the opening, said cover having a connected seam extending around the base of the second groove, said first and second annular flexible flanges each having a radial outward taper and a radial length sufficient to extend adjacent opposite sides of the annular portion of the heart tissue to accommodate sutures for connecting at least one of said flanges to the annular portion of the heart tissue, said body having a radial thickness greater than the thickness of said first and second annular flexible flanges, said annular means holding the suturing member on the outside wall of the base including an annular member holding parts of the suturing member in engagement with the first and second annular flanges of the outside wall and a part of the suturing member in the annular first groove in the outside wall of the base whereby the first flexible flange of the suturing member and the second flexible flange of the suturing member are located between the transverse planes of the outlet side and inlet side of the base.