title: Aortic valve replacement with cryopreserved allografts: mid-term results.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Analysis of the clinical and echocardiographic mid-term results following aortic valve replacement (AVR) with cryopreserved allografts.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cohort study in a tertiary care center.
  
  
  METHODS
  Fifty patients underwent allograft AVR during the years 1987 through 1992. There were 44 men and 6 women with a mean age of 47.6 +/- 12.2 years (range 22 to 72 years). Indications for operation included: aortic stenosis (AS) 15 patients, aortic regurgitation (AR) 24, and mixed 11. The etiology was: congenital 22, rheumatic 8, degenerative 5, senile calcific 4, malfunctioning aortic valve prosthesis 5, and active endocarditis 6.
  
  
  METHODS
  Early mortality and morbidity; mid-term survival, functional class, and valve related complications; and two-dimensional Doppler echocardiography to assess valve structure and function.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Two patients (4%) died perioperatively of noncardiac or valve related causes. Long-term follow-up ranged from 4 to 60 months (median 34 months), with no late mortality, recurrence of endocarditis, or thromboembolic events. Thirty-nine patients were in New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class I (83%) and 7 (15%) in Class II. Of these, echocardiogram showed trace or no AR in 42 (98%) and 2+ AR in 1. One allograft was re-replaced with a mechanical valve due to technical failure. One patient was in NYHA Class III with normal allograft function and 4+ mitral regurgitation.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Replacement of the aortic valve by a cryopreserved allograft can be performed safely, and is particularly useful in the setting of active endocarditis and failed prior prosthetic valve. Mid-term clinical results and valve durability at 5 years are excellent.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Boston University Medical Center, University Hospital, Massachusetts 02118.
authors.forename: O M
authors.initials: OM
authors.lastname: Shapira
authors.forename: R J
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Shemin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000637:transplantation*; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000601:surgery; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000601:surgery; D015331:Cohort Studies; D015925:Cryopreservation; D004452:Echocardiography; D015150:Echocardiography, Doppler; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate; D014021:Tissue Preservation; D014184:Transplantation, Homologous