title: Aortic valve replacement with the composite Labcor porcine bioprosthesis in the elderly.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  This paper presents the analysis of clinical results of the composite porcine Labcor  bioprosthesis in the replacement of aortic valves in the elderly.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective study was carried out in the Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgical Department, La Pitié-Salpétrière Hospital, Paris, for replacement of calcified, stenosed aortic valves between 1988 and 1995. It involved a series of 100 patients aged 70 and over (mean: 80+/-5 years ranging from 70 to 90). There were 63 female and 37 male patients. Preoperatively, five patients were in NYHA Class I, 23 in Class II, 65 in Class III and 7 in Class IV.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Fifteen patients died in the early postoperative stage and 13 during the follow-up period. There was no evidence of valve failure. The average follow-up was 32 months and the actuarial survival rate at 5 years was 74+/-5%. Complications due to bleeding occurred in 3 patients taking anticoagulant treatment. There were neither valvular thrombosis nor embolism. Two patients presented with prosthetic endocarditis. Two patients received a reoperation because of leakage (1 septic). The five-year follow-up showed that 96% of patients did not require further surgery. When this study was completed, 83% of patients were in Class I or II versus 71% in Class III or IV prior to surgery.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In the early/middle follow-up term, the results obtained when replacing the aortic valve with the composite Labcor  bioprosthesis in the elderly are satisfying. Nevertheless, further long-term assessment is needed.
authors.affiliation: Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery Department, Hôpital La Pitié-Salpétrière, Paris, France.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Pavie
authors.forename: A N
authors.initials: AN
authors.lastname: Nzomvuama
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Bonnet
authors.forename: V H
authors.initials: VH
authors.lastname: Bors
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Gandjbakhch
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D012086:Reoperation; D015996:Survival Rate