title: [Early and late morbidity and mortality of aortic valve replacement with mechanical or biological prostheses during the last decade: the gold standard].
abstract: BACKGROUND
  There is a growing interest in alternative techniques for aortic valve replacement (AVR). Therefore it is important to have updated results of conventional AYR as a valid comparative standard.
  
  
  OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate both perioperative and late morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing conventional AVR, with either mechanical (RVAm) or biological (RVAb) prostheses.
  
  
  METHODS
  Retrospective review of medical records and operative protocols of patients undergoing AVR between January 1995 and December 2005. Patients with previous cardiac surgery, aortic balloonplasty or simultaneous cardiovascular procedures were excluded.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the study period, 788 patients underwent AVR and 317 met the inclusion criteria. Of the latter, 175 patients aged 13 to 83 years (63% males) were subjected to AVRm and 142 patients aged 49 to 87 years (64% males), were subjected to AVRb. Five (1.6%) patients died during the perioperative period (one AVRm and four AVRb). All were older than 65 years. Perioperative complications were recorded in 29 and 25% of patients in AVRm and AVRb groups, respectively (NS). During a median follow-up of six years, complications were recorded in 12 and 4% of patients in AVRm and AVRb groups, respectively (p <0.05). The actuarial survival for AVRm group at 1, 5 and 10 years, was 96, 92 and 87%, respectively. The figures for AVRb group were 95, 86 and 83%, respectively (NS). The 10 year reintervention free survival was 97% for the AVRm group and 84% for the AVRb (p <0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Perioperative mortality and rates of complications of AVR in this series of patients are low, which compares favorably with other series.
authors.affiliation: Departamento de Enfermedades Cardiovasculares, Facultad de Medicina, Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, Santiago, Chile. pbecker@med.puc.cl
authors.forename: Pedro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Becker
authors.forename: Alejandro
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ramírez
authors.forename: Ignacio
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Cifuentes
authors.forename: Rolando
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Rebolledo
authors.forename: Ricardo
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Zalaquett
authors.forename: Sergio
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Morán
authors.forename: Claudio
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Arretz
authors.forename: Iván
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Godoy
authors.forename: Manuel José
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Irarrázaval
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D002677:Chile / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D007431:Intraoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult