It is difficult to overestimate the importance of the normative base of cardiac valve’s dimensions for cardio-surgical practice. The normative base allows: 1. To assess the degree of deviation from the normal value; 2. To eliminate disproportion between the altered dimension the normal value during the correction of a congenital heart defect; 3. To predict the results of surgical correction as well as its impact on the development of the heart after surgical intervention, which is especially important for the pediatric population; 4. To assess the efficacy of a surgical correction during the follow-up.
However, it remains unclear, which morfomentric normative base should be used for the assessment of cardiac valves. Morphometry can be performed on fixed as well as non-fixed preparations. Methods of measurement differ from one study to another. Many publications, especially those that are devoted to congenital heart defects, contain normative data in control group only. Usually, due to the specific aim of a given study, this group is not large and includes a narrow age range.

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