title: Long-term follow-up of elderly patients subjected to aortic valve replacement with mechanical prostheses.
abstract: We propose to analyse the long-term follow-up in patients older than 65 years of age who received a mechanical valve in the aortic position, using death and prosthetic-related complications as endpoints. From April 1988 to December 1995, 144 consecutive patients 65-75 years of age (mean 67.7+/-2.5) were enrolled. Total duration of follow-up was 1663 patient-years (median 13.0 years) and was complete for 99% of the patients. Thirty-day mortality was 1.4% (n=2). At the end of the study, 77 patients (53.8%) were alive, with ages ranging from 77 to 91 years (mean 82.1+/-3.2 years). The overall 5-, 10- and 15-year actuarial survival was 87.4%+/-3.0, 67.7%+/-4.3 and 58.5%+/-4.5, respectively. Freedom from stroke was 93.3+/-3.1%, 84.6+/-3.3% and 71.7+/-4.5%, respectively, after identical periods. Freedom from major bleeding was 97.2+/-1.1%, 90.4+/-3.5% and 86.4+/-4.0%, respectively. Freedom from endocarditis was 95.7+/-2.3%, 95.0+/-2.1% and 94.4+/-2.5%, respectively, and freedom from reoperation was 98.0+/-1.2%, 97.6+/-1.3%, 96.9+/-2.4% and 96.4+/-2.6%, respectively. Freedom from major valve-related events was 87.7+/-2.6%, 73.9+/-3.4% and 61.5+/-4.6%, respectively. Nearly two-thirds of the patients were alive and free from major adverse valve-related events. Hence, we consider implantation of a mechanical prosthesis in elderly patients safe and appropriate, but the choice must be tailored for each specific patient.
authors: Centre of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University Hospital, Coimbra, Portugal.
authors: Gonçalo F
authors: GF
authors: Coutinho
authors: Rita
authors: R
authors: Pancas
authors: Pedro E
authors: PE
authors: Antunes
authors: Manuel J
authors: MJ
authors: Antunes
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000925:Anticoagulants / Q000009:adverse effects; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D004696:Endocarditis / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000401:mortality; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D018579:Patient Selection; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D018570:Risk Assessment; D020521:Stroke / Q000209:etiology; D013923:Thromboembolism / Q000209:etiology; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome
chemical_list: D000925:Anticoagulants