Sf. Katircioglu et al., Comparison of 21-23 size St. Jude medical valves to the 27-29 size mechanical valves in aortic position - Ten-year follow-up, J CARD SURG, 41(1), 2000, pp. 31-36
Background. Between 1986 and 1996, 194 patients underwent isolated aortic v
alve replacement with 21-23 no. St. Jude Medical mechanical heart valves (s
mall sized group) and 163 patients with 27-29 no. (large sized group).
Methods, The mean age at operation was 45.04+/-15.90 years (range: 12-76 ye
ars) for the small sized group and 38.05+/-13.41 years (range: 16-68 years)
for the large sized group. Preoperatively, 39.7% of the patients from the
small sized group and 42.9% from the large sized group had pure aortic sten
osis, 31.9% and 27.6% had pure aortic insufficiency. Most of the patients h
ad rheumatic valve disease.
Results, The overall hospital mortality rate was 12.4% and 3.07% respective
ly in the small sized and large sized groups (p<0.001). The overall actuari
al survival rate for 10 years was 95.33+/-2.73% and 93.06+/-3.98% respectiv
ely in the small sized group and large sized group (p>0.05), In the small s
ized group male sex and all complications, in large sized group age and all
complications were the statistically important hospital mortality predicto
rs (p<0.05).
Conclusions. Although, operative mortality and long term morbidity were hig
her in the small sized group, these changes did not reflect the actuarial s
urvivals between the groups, Small sized valves carry some risk, but these
risks do not affect long-term survival.