title: Nine-year routine clinical experience of aortic valve replacement with ATS mechanical valves.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The study aim was to update the authors' experience with aortic valve replacement (AVR) using the ATS mechanical prosthesis in terms of early and long-term outcome in routine practice.
  
  
  METHODS
  This retrospective analysis was extracted from clinical data available between April 1996 and February 2005, of AVR with the ATS Medical prosthesis in 510 consecutive patients (345 men, 165 women; mean age 62 +/- 12 years), of whom 296 underwent isolated AVR (iAVR). Concomitant surgical procedures included coronary artery bypass grafting (AVR+CABG, n = 47), mitral valve procedure (AVR+MVP, n = 59), ascending aortic replacement (AVR+AAR, n = 74) and other procedures (AVR+Miscellaneous, n = 34). Early and late morbidity/mortality were analyzed for the entire group in case of emergency surgery, preoperative low left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF <50%) and in elderly people (age > or = 70 years).
  
  
  RESULTS
  The overall 30-day mortality was 7.2% (iAVR 4.7%; AVR+CABG 4%; AVR+MVP 8.5%; AVR+AAR 2.9%; AVR+Miscellaneous 14.7%). The five- and nine-year global survival rates were respectively 81.14 +/- 2.4% and 67.02 +/- 10.4%. Long-term survival was lower in case of emergency surgery (p = 0.001), when the preoperative LVEF was <50% (p = 0.03), and when patients were aged > or = 70 years (p = 0.0005). Linearized postoperative valve-related death was 1.1% per patient-year (pt-yr). However, nine years' freedom from valve-related death and valve-related morbidity were not significantly different when the patient age was > or = 70 years. The linearized rate for postoperative thromboembolism complication was 0.4% per pt-yr, and that for postoperative bleeding complication 0.63% per pt-yr. There were two perivalvular leaks (0.05%/pt-yr). Neither valve thrombosis, structural dysfunction nor endocarditis were observed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The findings of this retrospective study point to a globally very good performance of the ATS valve, and essentially similar to previously reported results with these and other available mechanical valves.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery and Transplantation, University-Hospital of Nancy-Brabois, Vandoeuvre-lès-Nancy, France. jp.villemot@chu-nancy.fr
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Villemot
authors.forename: Malik
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Lekehal
authors.forename: Pablo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Maureira
authors.forename: Fabrice
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Vanhuyse
authors.forename: Christina
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sirbu
authors.forename: Jean-Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Carteaux
authors.forename: Nguyen
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Tran
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery; D001026:Coronary Artery Bypass / Q000401:mortality; D017558:Elective Surgical Procedures / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D004630:Emergencies; D005260:Female; D006333:Heart Failure / Q000401:mortality; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008943:Mitral Valve / Q000601:surgery; D009102:Multiple Organ Failure / Q000401:mortality; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018805:Sepsis / Q000401:mortality; D020521:Stroke / Q000401:mortality; D013318:Stroke Volume; D015996:Survival Rate; D054556:Venous Thromboembolism / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult