Heart valve holder that resists suture looping

An improved holder, system and method for implanting a tissue-type prosthetic mitral heart valve that prevents suture looping and may also constrict the commissure posts of the valve. The holder may include two relatively movable plates, one of which attaches to the valve sewing on the inflow end of the valve ring and the other which attaches via sutures or similar expedient to the valve commissures on the outflow end. Separation of the plates places the sutures in tension and constricts the commissures. The sutures may be strands or filaments, or may be wider bands of flexible biocompatible material. If bands are used, they desirably cover the commissure post tips to further help prevent suture looping thereover. The flexible lengths of material extend directly between commissures of the valve, or may extending radially inward from each commissure to a central upstanding member. Desirably, a slide is created by the flexible lengths of material adjacent each commissure post, for example by crossing over suture filaments at or radially inward from the commissure posts. If an upstanding member is used, the lengths of suture extend axially beyond the commissure post tips to create a tent that wards off sutures that otherwise might loop around the tips during advancement of the valve along an array of pre-implanted sutures.