title: Ten-years' clinical experience with the Sorin Pericarbon valve.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study aim was to evaluate 10 years' results obtained with the Pericarbon pericardial bioprosthesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Between September 1988 and December 1997, 277 patients (mean age 75.8 +/- 8.5 years) received a total of 287 Pericarbon pericardial valves. Of these patients, 224 (80.8%) underwent single aortic valve replacement (AVR) and 39 single mitral valve replacement (MVR); one patient had a tricuspid valve replacement (TVR), three patients had a pulmonary valve replacement (PVR) and 10 had both aortic and mitral valve replacement (DVR). Associated cardiac procedures were performed in 86 patients (31.0%), mainly coronary artery bypass graft (n = 71). Mean patient follow up was 4.9 +/- 2.6 years; total cumulative follow up was 1,221.4 patient-years.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall hospital mortality rate was 10.1%. There were 50 late deaths (20.1%), four (1.6%) being valve-related. The patient survival rate at 10.8 years was 60.0 +/- 4.5% for AVR and 46.5 +/- 11.9% for MVR. Freedom from valve-related death at 10.8 years was 97.6 +/- 1.1% for AVR and 100% for MVR. Freedom from structural valve deterioration was 96.1 +/- 2.7% for AVR and 100% for MVR. Freedom from embolic events was 96.0 +/- 1.5% for AVR and 100% for MVR. In total, 16 patients needed reoperation, three for stenosis due to dystrophic calcification, six for endocarditis and seven for paravalvular leak. Freedom from reoperation was 89.9 +/- 4.2% for AVR and 80.6 +/- 7.3% for MVR.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  These results show that, over a period of up to 10 years, the Pericarbon pericardial bioprosthesis constitutes an excellent and safe replacement valve.
authors.affiliation: L'Institut Mutualiste Montsouris, Paris, France.
authors.forename: T A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Folliguet
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dibie
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Czitrom
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Le Bret
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Laborde
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000401:mortality; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D009017:Morbidity; D010496:Pericardium; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D012086:Reoperation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015996:Survival Rate; D013997:Time Factors