Mechanical heart valve prosthesis for the right ventricle

A prosthetic heart valve (11) having a pair of cooperating leaflets (15) mounted in a valve body (13) to alternate between an open position where the flow of blood in a downstream direction is permitted and a closed position where the flow of blood in the reverse direction is counteracted. Pivot member sets at diametrically opposite sides of each leaflet guide the leaflets moving between the open and closed positions, each set including an ear (41) or a recess (141) cooperating with an associated cavity (25) or knob (125) of an interior surface of the valve body. Each ear or recess bounds at least one leaflet passageway (76, 77, 176) through that ear or recess and located spaced from upstream and downstream ends of the ear for allowing flow through that ear and the associated cavity, or through that recess, when the leaflets are in the closed positions