title: Survival and "event-free" analysis of 785 patients with Björk-Shiley spherical-disc valves at 10 to 16 years.
abstract: Seven hundred eighty-five patients underwent Björk-Shiley spherical-disc valve replacement from 1970 to 1976. There were 268 mitral valve replacements (MVR), 227 aortic valve replacements (AVR), 65 double-valve replacements, and 225 "combined" procedures. A 97.2% follow-up (mean, 12 years) was achieved. With an operative mortality of 4.1% for MVR, 8.4% for AVR, 15.4% for double-valve replacement, and 12.4% for combined procedures, the 12-year survival was most closely related to age at valve replacement: age less than 50 years, 70%; age 50 through 59 years, 52%; and age 60 years or more, 38%. Twenty-four patients (3.1%) (6 who had MVR, 5 who had AVR, 1 who had double-valve replacement, and 12 who had combined procedures) had a thrombosed valve 1 to 134 months postoperatively; this is equal to 0.36 thrombosed valve per 100 patient-years. One hundred eighteen embolic episodes occurred in 94 (13%) of the operative survivors or 1.8 emboli per 100 patient-years. There were major bleeding complications in 0.5% of patients and minor bleeding complications, in 4.0%. Endocarditis appeared in 30 patients (4.2%) or 0.4 episode per 100 patient-years and paravalvular leaks, in 20 patients (2.8%). The event-free survival by age group and valve site at 5, 10, and 12 years is presented. Events included death, thrombosed valves, strokes, bleeding, emboli, paravalvular leaks, and endocarditis. There were 5.3 events per 100 patient-years excluding operative deaths.
authors.affiliation: Medical College of Wisconsin Affiliated Hospitals, Milwaukee.
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Flemma
authors.forename: D C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Mullen
authors.forename: L H
authors.initials: LH
authors.lastname: Kleinman
authors.forename: P H
authors.initials: PH
authors.lastname: Werner
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Anderson
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Weirauch
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001021:Aortic Valve; D002423:Cause of Death; D004696:Endocarditis / Q000453:epidemiology; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000453:epidemiology