title: Homograft and prosthetic aortic valve replacement: a comparative study.
abstract: Homograft aortic valve replacement was done in 103 patients and prosthetic aortic valve replacement in 106 between January 1962 and December 1973. Patients who received homograft and prosthetic valves were compared with respect to age, sex, preoperative functional impairment, infection, dyspnea, angina, hemodynamics, chest X-ray, electrocardiogram, associated operations, early and late mortality, and valve failure. Combined total mortality was 28% (12% operative, 8% first postoperative year, 8% late). Ten percent of valve required replacement. One year after operation, 70% of survivors were asymptomatic, 27% were improved, and 3% were unchanged or between homograft and prosthetic valve replacement. Valve-related failure and infections were more common after homograft aortic valve replacement. Emboli, hemorrhage, and hemolysis were commoner after prosthetic valve replacement. Fungal infections occurred in five homograft patients but in no patient with a prosthetic aortic valve. Severe properative symptoms or recent endocarditis was associated with greater mortality and valve failure in both the homograft and the prosthetic series. Increased mortality and failure was also seen in patients with either preoperative aortic regurgitation with high left ventricular end-diastolic pressure and low cardiac index, or aortic stenosis with cardiomegaly or roentgenographic evidence of congestive heart failure. Therefore, in two series of patients at equal risk, mortality and valve failure were similar for homograft and prosthetic aortic valve replacement.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery* / Q000637:transplantation; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012306:Risk; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous