title: Results of multiple valve repair. A clinical study of 81 patients.
abstract: A report is presented of 50 men and 31 women, mean age 50.3 years, who underwent surgery for multivalvular cardiac disease in 1973-1987. NYHA function class was III-IV in 88% of the patients. The most common procedures were aortic + mitral valve replacement (81%), aortic + mitral valve replacement + coronary artery bypass grafting (5%), aortic valve replacement + tricuspid valvuloplasty (5%) and mitral valve replacement + tricuspid valvuloplasty (5%); 95% of the implanted valves were of Björk-Shiley disc type. Nine patients died perioperatively, six due to myocardial infarction and/or low cardiac output. Postoperative bleeding necessitated resternotomy in three cases. Follow-up was complete, with a mean observation time of 4.5 years (a total of 323 patient years). The incidence of thrombotic valve encapsulation was 0.6/100 patient years. Corresponding figures for anticoagulant-related haemorrhage, prosthetic valve endocarditis and paraprosthetic leakage were 0.9, 1.2 and 1.2. In our experience, the rate of late complications after multivalvular reconstruction using Björk-Shiley prosthesis is acceptable if anticoagulant therapy is correctly employed.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, University Hospital, Turku, Finland.
authors.forename: V
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Rantakokko
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Janatuinen
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vänttinen
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Inberg
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis / Q000401:mortality; D006351:Heart Valves / Q000601:surgery*; D006491:Hemothorax / Q000209:etiology / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants