title: Stentless aortic valve replacement in elderly patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Seven-year clinical and hemodynamic results of the Cryolife O'Brien (CLOB) stentless bioprosthesis in elderly patients are reported.
  
  
  METHODS
  From 1993 to 2000, 36 patients aged >75 years had a CLOB implanted in the aortic position. Eighteen (50%) were male. All patients were monitored with serial echocardiograms performed preoperatively, at discharge, six months, one year and yearly thereafter.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The 30-day mortality was 2.4% (1/36). Actuarial survival at one, five and seven years were 96.7+/-1.5, 94.8+/-2.0 and 94.8+/-2.0%, respectively. Peak and mean gradients (PG and MG) reduced and effective orifice area index (EOAI) increased over time (P<0.001). Left ventricular mass index (LVMI) reduced by 32 g/m2 at discharge (P<0.001) and by 33 g/m2 at six months (P<0.001) without further significant changes.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  In our series CLOB xenograft resulted to be a satisfactory valve substitute in elderly patients.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, General Hospital 'S. Maria della Misericordia', Udine, Italy. sandrogelsomino@virgilio.it
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Gelsomino
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Da Col
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Morocutti
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Frassani
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Porreca
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Minen
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Livi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000401:mortality; D006439:Hemodynamics; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D015607:Stents; D016896:Treatment Outcome