title: Clinical evaluation of the Björk-Shiley disc valve in the tricuspid position. Long-term results.
abstract: Between 1971 and 1981, 1210 Björk-Shiley prostheses were implanted. Of these, 79 were in the tricuspid position, comprising 30 triple valve replacements, 46 mitral plus tricuspid, and 3 isolated tricuspid replacements. The ages ranged from 10-55 years (mean 45 years). Sixty-three patients (80%) were in NYHA grades III or IV preoperatively. Thirteen patients died in hospital after surgery (16.5%). The 66 survivors have been followed for up to 16 years (mean 7.5 years). There have been 37 late deaths (7.5 per patient year). Twelve were valve-related: 4 tricuspid complications, 4 mitral complications, 2 prosthetic endocarditis, 1 aortic leak and 1 anticoagulant-related bleed. Twenty-one late deaths were not valve-related, and 4 causes of death are unknown. Expressed actuarially, survival at 5 years was 68%, and at 10 years, 49.4% +/- 12%. Freedom from valve-related death at 10 years was 80.7% +/- 7%. At last follow-up, 90% of the survivors were in NYHA class 1 or 2 with only modest signs of venous hypertension. The commonest life-threatening complication was obstruction of the tricuspid prosthesis by tissue ingrowth. This occurred in 7 patients (1.4% per patient year) 4 were re-operated upon and survived, 3 died. Doppler echocardiography has been carried out on 27 survivors of whom 5 had abnormal pressure-half times but only 3 of these were symptomatic. This series shows that function of the standard disc Björk-Shiley prosthesis in the tricuspid position compares favourably with other prostheses. The problem of tissue ingrowth can be diagnosed by echo Doppler and reoperation successfully carried out.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Western Infirmary, Glasgow, Scotland.
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Weerasena
authors.forename: T J
authors.initials: TJ
authors.lastname: Spyt
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pye
authors.forename: W H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Bain
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012086:Reoperation; D014261:Tricuspid Valve / Q000601:surgery*