title: Clinical and echocardiographic follow-up after aortic valve reconstruction with bovine or autologous pericardium.
abstract: Eighty-six patients, mean age 29 +/- 15 years, underwent aortic valve reconstruction with bovine or autologous pericardial tissue. Mean clinical follow-up was 35 months. Echocardiographic data were assessed in 65 patients with follow-up > or = 6 months. There were two in-hospital and three late deaths. Warfarin was not given, and no thromboembolic events occurred. Five (6%) patients needed reoperation because of severe aortic regurgitation. Peak aortic valve gradients remained low (26 +/- 14 mm Hg for the bovine group and 16 +/- 16 mm Hg for the autologous group). One patient is awaiting surgery for aortic stenosis after 76 months. Leaflet thickening at latest follow-up was marked in six (9%) patients. Left ventricular dimensions normalized postoperatively and showed only insignificant increase during follow-up. This technique is a promising alternative to valve prosthesis in selected patients; however, longer follow-up is necessary to assess long-term results.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bjørnstad
authors.forename: R M
authors.initials: RM
authors.lastname: Duran
authors.forename: K G
authors.initials: KG
authors.lastname: Nassau
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gometza
authors.forename: L K
authors.initials: LK
authors.lastname: Hatle
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Duran
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000601:surgery; D002417:Cattle; D002648:Child; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010496:Pericardium / Q000637:transplantation*; D012086:Reoperation; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous