Late follow-up of the Braunwald-Cutter valve.
A retrospective review has been made of 234 patients who received 239 Braunwald-Cutter valves (109 aortic, 130 mitral). For the aortic valve, the thromboembolic rate was very high (10.3 per 100 patient-years). This was associated with severe strut cloth wear in 94.5% of valves and with long strands of fibrin attached to the worn cloth in 58% of valves studied at reoperation or postmortem examination. The aortic poppet showed a mean decrease in volume of 4%, and poppet escape was recognized in 4 patients. The actuarial incidence of poppet escape was less than that predicted in earlier reports. There was a 4% incidence of stenosis of the valve. The hospital mortality associated with removal of the aortic Braunwald-Cutter valve and replacement with another device was 4%. Performance of the mitral Braunwald-Cutter valve appears satisfactory to date (mean follow-up, 42 months). Its electric removal is not recommended.
D000206:Actuarial Analysis; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000601:surgery; D004696:Endocarditis / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000601:surgery; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000601:surgery; D008946:Mitral Valve Stenosis / Q000601:surgery; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality