Aortic Valve Replacement in Latvia Influenced by an Ageing Population and Transcatheter Procedures - an Update

• Published in: Latvijas k̦̦irurg̓ijas žurnāls Vol. 11; no. 1; p. 94
• Main Authors: Kalejs, Martins, Stradins, Peteris, Zarova, Ludmila, Kolitis, Ralfs, Strazdins, Uldis, Strike, Eva, Lacis, Romans, Erglis, Andrejs
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English; Latvian
• Published: Riga De Gruyter Poland 01.01.2011
• Subjects: Heart surgery; Older people; Prostheses; Surgical outcomes; Transplants & implants
• ISSN: 1407-981X; 2199-5737
• DOI: 10.2478/v10163-012-0018-4

Aortic Valve Replacement in Latvia Influenced by an Ageing Population and Transcatheter Procedures - an Update Introduction. Aortic valve disease in the ageing population of the developed countries is the dominant heart valve disease affecting predominantly the elderly patients. Surgeons routinely more and more often encounter very frail, elderly patients with severe co-morbidities referred to surgery. Aim of the study. Aim of this study is to summarize data on usage frequency of mechanical valve prostheses and bioprostheses in all aortic valve replacement operations performed during the years 2008-2010 in the Cardiac Surgery Centre of Pauls Stradins Clinical University hospital, compare it with previous data from years 2002-2006 and to evaluate the possible influence of introduction of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) in Latvia. Materials and methods. Data was collected from the National Database of Cardiac surgery as well as from surgery registration journals of departments in a retrospective manner. All primary data were analyzed using MS Excel software. Results. The mean age of aortic valve replacement patients has gradually increased over years from 65.84 in 2008 to 67.35 in 2010. There has been a marked increase in the population of patients older than 80 years from 7.1% in 2008 to 10.8% in 2010 (TAVI patients not included). From 1044 aortic valve operations in 534 bioprostheses were used and in 510 cases mechanical valves were utilized. From all patients undergoing aortic valve replacement in 2008 42.3% received a bioprosthesis, this number increased to 49.4% in year 2009 and even to 60.5% in 2010. Conclusions. Patients undergoing aortic valve replacement are getting older with each year, especially in the last few years after introduction of TAVI. There is a tremendous increase of bioprostheses usage in valve replacement operations - a consequence of an ageing population and improved durability of bioprostheses. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]