Stents for prosthetic heart valves

A stent-valve including a stent structure with a generally tubular body with a first and a second end, wherein a region adjacent to the first end has a first stiffness, a region adjacent to the second end has a second stiffness, and a central region between the regions of the first and second ends has a third stiffness that is less than the stiffness adjacent to the first and second ends. The stent structure can be reconfigured in its central region to adapt to the patient's curved anatomical region. The stented valve also includes a valve structure fixed within the generally tubular portion. (Automatic translation with Google Translate, no legal value)