title: Ten years' experience in heart valve replacement with artificial prostheses: immediate and long-term results in 1812 cases.
abstract: A ten year follow up of 1,812 patients who underwent heart valve replacement with artificial prothesis between October 1963 and December 1973 is reported. Hospital mortality was 8.5% for aortic valve replacement; 13.6% for mitral valve replacement and 19.3% for multiple valve replacement. Late mortality was 13.3% for aortic valve replacement; 25.7% for mitral valve replacement and 25.9% for multiple valve replacement. The survival rate of the different groups of patients were actuarially determined. The survival rates following replacement of the aortic valves was 81% after 9 years. The main late complications are embolism and valve leakage. All surviving patients show a clinical improvement, particularly in the groups of isolated aortic a mitral valve replacement. The heart size reduction after operation has been measured. This is more evident 6 months after surgery: the average reduction was 23% after aortic valve replacement and 20% after mitral valve replacement.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000601:surgery; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006330:Heart Defects, Congenital / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000601:surgery