title: The Bicarbon heart valve prosthesis: short-term results.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To determine the short-term results of the Bicarbon (Sorin Biomedica, Saluggia, Italy) heart valve prosthesis at our institution.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between November 1991 and December 1995, 256 patients (mean age 59.9 +/- 9.8 years) underwent valve replacement with a Bicarbon valve prosthesis. The mean ejection fraction was 60 +/- 14.8% and the mean left ventricular end-diastolic pressure 15.9 +/- 8.7 mmHg. Redo (n = 61) and combined procedures (n = 72) were included in this study; mixed types of prostheses were excluded. The procedures were divided into groups: aortic valve replacement (n = 163), mitral valve replacement (n = 60) and aortic-mitral (double) valve replacement (n = 33). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis was performed and predictors for survival were tested univariately and multivariately.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The mean follow up was 30 +/- 25.1 months with a total of 7,696 patient-months (641.3 patient-years) and was 100% complete. The Kaplan-Meier survival rate at 48 months was 87 +/- 2%. The valve-related morbidity expressed as linearized incidence rate (% per patient-year) was: anticoagulation bleeding 2.3 +/- 0.6; thromboembolic event 1.0 +/- 0.4; periprosthetic leak 0.6 +/- 0.3; and endocarditis 0.3 +/- 0.2. Univariate significant factors for worse survival were: higher preoperative New York Heart Association (NYHA) functional class, valve implantation site, presence of associated operation, increasing age, decreasing ejection fraction, longer aortic cross-clamp time, and longer cardiopulmonary bypass time. In multivariate analysis longer aortic cross-clamp time and higher preoperative NYHA classification were significant independent predictors.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These good short-term results after Bicarbon valve replacement are encouraging and comparable with those obtained with other bileaflet mechanical heart valves. However, further follow up is mandatory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, Leuven, Belgium.
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Casselman
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Herijgers
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Meyns
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Flameng
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Daenen
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D001672:Biocompatible Materials; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011379:Prognosis; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013997:Time Factors
chemical_list: D001672:Biocompatible Materials