Prosthetic vascular conduit

1. A prosthesis comprising:

a prosthetic heart valve having a plurality of leaflets for controlling blood flow through the heart valve and an annular portion having a first diameter, the annular portion located at a proximal end of the prosthetic heart valve;

a prosthetic vascular conduit including a terminal collar member radially expandable to receive the prosthetic heart valve, the terminal collar member including a contractible portion radially contractible to engage the annular portion of the prosthetic heart valve such that the prosthetic heart valve is coupled to the conduit; and

a contractible member coupled to the terminal collar member at a location proximal to the annular portion and extending about a circumference of the terminal collar member;

wherein the contractible member is a suturing wire forming a loop configured to enable a practitioner to exert a positive contraction force on the terminal collar member to reduce a diameter of the contractible portion to a second diameter smaller than the first diameter of the annular portion, such that the prosthetic heart valve is captured inside the terminal collar member.

2. The conduit of claim 1 , wherein the contractible portion is a distal portion of the terminal collar member.

3. The conduit of claim 1 , wherein the contractible member is disposed within a pocket formed in the terminal collar member.

4. The conduit of claim 3 , wherein the pocket is formed by upturning a marginal edge of the terminal collar member.

5. The conduit of claim 1 , wherein the terminal collar member is formed of a material permitting suturing of the annular portion of the valve to the conduit.

6. The conduit of claim 1 , wherein the terminal collar member is comprised of a textile material.

7. The conduit of claim 1 , wherein the terminal collar member is formed of a separate element and is connected to an adjacent portion of the conduit by at least one of knitting, stitching, or gluing.

8. The conduit of claim 1 , wherein the contractible member is removable from the terminal collar member.

9. The conduit of claim 1 , wherein the terminal collar member includes a contractible member of a radiopaque material for use as a marker.

10. The conduit of claim 1 , wherein the terminal collar member includes at least one angular marker for angularly referencing the valve with respect to the terminal collar member.

11. The conduit of claim 1 , wherein the conduit includes a radially expandable portion adjacent the terminal collar member.