Ra. North et al., Long-term survival and valve-related complications in young women with cardiac valve replacements, CIRCULATION, 99(20), 1999, pp. 2669-2676
Citations number
24
Categorie Soggetti
Cardiovascular & Respiratory Systems","Cardiovascular & Hematology Research
Background-The type of cardiac valve replacement associated with the lowest
health risks for young women who may undergo pregnancies is unknown. We in
vestigated which valve type was associated with greatest patient and valve
survival and the effect of pregnancy on valve loss.
Methods and Results-In this retrospective study, all women 12 to 35 years o
ld who underwent valve replacements between 1972 and 1992 at Greenlane Hosp
ital were identified, and follow-up was available in 93%. The 232 women wer
e followed up for 1499 patient-years, Ten-year survival of women with mecha
nical (n = 178), bioprosthetic (n = 73), and homograft (n = 72) valves was
70% (95% CI, 59% to 83%), 84% (95% CI, 72% to 99%), and 96% (95% CI, 91% to
100%), P = 0.002. After adjustment for confounding variables, the relative
risk (RR) of death with mechanical compared with bioprosthetic valves was
2.17 (95% CI, 0.78 to 5.88), Thromboembolic events occurred in 45% of women
with mechanical valves within 5 years, compared with 13% with bioprostheti
c valves, P = 0.0001. Valve loss at 10 years was higher in bioprosthetic va
lves [82% (95% CI, 62% to 92%)] than in mechanical [29% (95% CI, 17% to 39%
)] or homograft [28% (95% CI, 12% to 41%)] valves, P=0.0001. Pregnancy was
not associated with increased bioprosthetic (RR, 0.96; 95% CI, 0.68 to 1.35
), homograft (RR, 0.65; 95% CI, 0.37 to 1.13), or mechanical (RR, 0.54; 95%
CI, 0.27 to 1.08) valve loss.
Conclusions-Although 10-year valve survival was greater with mechanical tha
n bioprosthetic valves, mechanical valves may be associated with reduced pa
tient survival in young women. Thromboembolic complications, often with lon
g-term sequelae, were common with mechanical valves. Pregnancy did not incr
ease structural deterioration or reduce survival of bioprosthetic valves.