Aortic valve selection in the elderly patient.
To determine the influence of valve selection on valve-related morbidity and mortality and patient survival, comparative long-term performance characteristics of mechanical (N = 68) and bioprosthetic (N = 73) heart valves were analyzed for 141 patients more than 70 years old who underwent isolated aortic valve replacement between 1970 and 1985. Cumulative patient follow-up was 491 patient-years (average, 4.3 years per patient). Hospital mortality was 18% and 19% for patients with mechanical valves and bioprosthetic valves, respectively. Survival at 5 years was 61 +/- 7% (+/- the standard error) and 67 +/- 10% for recipients of mechanical valves and bioprosthetic valves, respectively. Male sex (p = 0.014) and urgency of operation (p = 0.006) were independent risk factors for hospital mortality. Atrial fibrillation increased valve-related mortality (p = 0.01). No patient required reoperation or experienced structural valve failure. While anticoagulant-related hemorrhage was increased in recipients of mechanical valves (9.2 +/- 2.1%/patient-year) compared with recipients of bioprosthetic valves (2.3 +/- 1.1%/patient-year), it did not result in a death or lead to permanent disability. There was no difference in freedom from any valve-related complication at 5 years. However, when all morbid events are considered, recipients of bioprosthetic valves experienced fewer valve-related complications than patients receiving mechanical valves (10.7 +/- 2.3%/patient-year versus 17.6 +/- 2.5%/patient-year, respectively; p less than 0.05). The reduced incidence of anticoagulant-related hemorrhage and the infrequent need for warfarin sodium anticoagulation favor selection of a bioprosthetic heart valve in patients older than 70 years.
Division of Cardiac Surgery and Cardiology, Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD.
A M
AM
Borkon
L M
LM
Soule
K L
KL
Baughman
W A
WA
Baumgartner
T J
TJ
Gardner
L
L
Watkins
V L
VL
Gott
K A
KA
Hall
B A
BA
Reitz
D000368:Aged; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000009:adverse effects; D001021:Aortic Valve; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D001705:Bioprosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects; D002493:Central Nervous System Diseases / Q000209:etiology; D004696:Endocarditis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000139:chemically induced; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000209:etiology
D000925:Anticoagulants