title: A long-term follow-up study of valve replacements.
abstract: We have studied the long-term results of valve replacement operations in 591 patients, one year or more after surgery, and also analyzed rates of social return in 523 patients (response rate, 86.1 per cent) by questionnaire. Of the 591 patients, 81 patients suffered early death (mortality rate, 13.7 per cent) and 41 patients late death (mortality rate, 6.9 per cent). The causes of the latter were left atrial thrombus (18 cases), heart failure (10 cases), artificial valve failure (five cases), renal failure (two cases) and hepatic insufficiency, infection and accident (one case each). Second replacement was performed in 18 patients (3.0 per cent), 49 months on average from the first operation. The survival rate at the 12th postoperative year was 68.7 per cent. The overall rate of social return after valve replacement was 64.8 per cent, including 74.8 per cent for mitral valve replacement, 54.3 per cent for aortic and 51.5 for multivalvular. The rate of social return has been improved to 76.4 per cent in the last five years.
mesh_terms: D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000209:etiology; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000534:rehabilitation* / Q000601:surgery; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis / Q000401:mortality / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D006801:Humans; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000601:surgery; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000209:etiology; D014261:Tricuspid Valve / Q000601:surgery