Long-term follow-up of small (size 20 and 21) medtronic-hall aortic valve prostheses

• Published in: The Annals of thoracic surgery Vol. 64; no. 2; pp. 421 - 425
• Main Authors: Obadia, Jean-Francois, Martelloni, Yvan A., Bastien, Olivier H., Durand de Gevigney, Guy M., Chassignolle, Jean-Francois
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.08.1997; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Aortic Valve; Biological and medical sciences; Body Surface Area; Disease-Free Survival; Endocarditis - etiology; Female; Follow-Up Studies; Heart Valve Prosthesis - adverse effects; Heart Valve Prosthesis - mortality; Humans; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Postoperative Complications; Prognosis; Prosthesis Design; Reoperation; Sex Factors; Surgery (general aspects). Transplantations, organ and tissue grafts. Graft diseases; Surgery of the heart; Survival Rate; Thromboembolism - etiology; Human; Treatment; Cardiac valvular disease; Follow up study; Prosthesis; Cardiovascular disease; Replacement; Technique; Aortic regurgitation; Survival; Aortic valve
• ISSN: 0003-4975; 1552-6259
• DOI: 10.1016/S0003-4975(97)00443-8

Our goal was to study the long-term follow-up of patients having aortic valve replacement and to focus particularly on the patients receiving small prostheses. Four hundred twenty-eight Medtronic-Hall valves were implanted (156 size 20 or 21 mm, 149 size 22 or 23 mm, and 123 size 25 or 27 mm). Group 20–21 had a higher number of female patients, more associated coronary lesions, and more patients with aortic stenosis. The actuarial survival rate at 8 years was 80% for group 20–21, 80% for group 22–23, and 76% for group 25–27 (p = not significant). In group 20–21, the actuarial event-free rates at 8 years were as follows: thromboembolic complications, 94%; prosthetic valve endocarditis, 99%; reoperation, 98%; and hemorrhagic complications, 78%. The only factors of prognostic value in this group were age and associated coronary lesions. The durable nature of the results obtained with the Medtronic-Hall 20- and 21-mm prostheses compared with large-diameter prostheses allows the use of a simple and reliable surgical technique and should mean that indications for ring enlargement become rare.