A prosthetic heart valve comprising: an expandable stent comprising an array of diamonds when expanded, the array having a first row and a second row; a valve seated inside the expandable stent; a plurality of prongs extending inward from the first row; and a plurality of prongs extending inward from the second row, wherein prongs are pre-bent so that they are bent outwardly relative to a longitudinal axis of the expandable stent and are also bent inwardly relative to the longitudinal axis at a point offset from their free ends; wherein an increase in the diameter of the expandable stent results in a decrease in the length of the expandable stent to bring the prongs together to produce a connection to body tissue surrounding the stent.
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