title: Clinical and echocardiographic assessment of the Medtronic Advantage aortic valve prosthesis: the Scandinavian multicentre, prospective study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this report is the prospective, multicentre evaluation of clinical results and haemodynamic performance of the Medtronic Advantage aortic valve prosthesis.
  
  
  METHODS
  From April 2001 to June 2003, 166 patients (male:female 125:41; mean (SD) age 61.8 (11.8) years) received an aortic advantage valve prosthesis. Complete cumulative follow-up was 242.7 patient-years (maximum 3.2; mean 1.6 years). Postoperatively, patients underwent early (within 30 days) and 1 year transthoracic echocardiography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  30 day mortality was 2.4% (n = 4). Kaplan-Meier estimates of freedom from complications and linearised rates were as follows: 96.9 (1.6)% survival; 94.7 (1.3)% (2.06 patients/year) thrombo-embolism; 99.4 (0.6)% (0.4 patients/year) bleeding; 98.8 (0.9)% (0.8 patients/year) non-structural valve dysfunction; 98.8 (0.9)% (0.8 patients/year) reoperation. Valvular mean pressure gradients ranged from 16 (3) mm Hg for size 19 to 7 (2) mm Hg for size 27 and the corresponding effective orifice areas ranged from 1.2 (0.25) to 3.2 (0.66) cm(2). In all, left ventricular mass significantly decreased (p<0.001) and fractional shortening increased (p<0.001) from postoperative to 1 year echocardiography.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Haemodynamic performance and early clinical results of Medtronic advantage in the aortic position were satisfactory and comparable with those of other bileaflet valves in current clinical use.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Trondheim University Hospital, Trondheim, Norway. rune.haaverstad@ntnu.no
authors.forename: Rune
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Haaverstad
authors.forename: Nicola
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Vitale
authors.forename: Asbjørn
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Karevold
authors.forename: Giangiuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Cappabianca
authors.forename: Arve
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Tromsdal
authors.forename: Peter Skov
authors.initials: PS
authors.lastname: Olsen
authors.forename: Lars
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Köber
authors.forename: Halfdan
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ihlen
authors.forename: Kjell Arne
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Rein
authors.forename: Jan L
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Svennevig
mesh_terms: D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis / Q000592:standards*; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000209:etiology; D011446:Prospective Studies; D016019:Survival Analysis; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000209:etiology; D016896:Treatment Outcome