title: The correlation between improved cellular viability and clinical performance in 5,000 cryopreserved human heart valves.
abstract: This study analyzes the 5 year, clinical performance of 5,000 recorded implants of cryopreserved human heart valves. Successive changes in the processing methods have increased cell viability to 88% of control data. Data show that increased cell viability correlates with improved clinical performance. The 79 reported removals at 5 years gave an actuarial survival estimate for all reoperations and complications of 97%.
authors.affiliation: CryoLife, Inc. Marietta, Georgia 30067.
authors.forename: R T
authors.initials: RT
authors.lastname: McNally
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Brockbank
mesh_terms: D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D002470:Cell Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D015925:Cryopreservation; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006085:Graft Survival / Q000502:physiology*; D006351:Heart Valves / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation*; D006801:Humans; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality / Q000473:pathology; D015996:Survival Rate; D014021:Tissue Preservation