title: Twelve-year experience with the Carpentier-Edwards pericardial aortic valve at a single Japanese center.
abstract: Our aim was to evaluate the long-term results of implantation of the Carpentier-Edwards pericardial (CEP) valve in the aortic position. Between January 1996 and December 2007, 244 patients who underwent aortic valve replacement using the CEP valve were enrolled in this study. A 19-mm valve was used in 39 patients, a 21-mm valve in 94 patients, a 23-mm valve in 81 patients, and a 25-mm valve in 30 patients. The early and the late results were evaluated. Furthermore, echocardiographic examination was performed at follow-up. There were 5 early deaths, with an early mortality rate of 2.0%. Follow-up was performed in 95.4% of the survivors of the operation for a mean period of 4.1 years. Actuarial survival rates at 5, 10, and 12 years were 85.3 ± 2.8, 80.0 ± 3.7 and 70.0 ± 9.8%, respectively. Thromboembolism was observed in 6 patients, endocarditis in 2 patients, reoperation in 4 patients, and structural valve deterioration in 2 patients. Actuarial freedoms from thromboembolism, endocarditis, and reoperation at 10 years were 96.9 ± 0.14, 97.7 ± 0.16, and 97.0 ± 0.16%, respectively. Echocardiographic examination revealed that the pressure gradients across the valve prosthesis for valves of each size were acceptable. Left ventricular mass index decreased significantly in all valve sizes. The long-term results of implantation of the CEP bioprosthesis in the aortic position were satisfactory. The CEP bioprosthesis maintained its hemodynamic performance even as late as 10 years after implantation.
authors.affiliation: Department of Surgery, Kurume University School of Medicine, 67 Asahi-machi, Kurume, Japan. karinaga@med.kurume-u.ac.jp
authors.forename: Koichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Arinaga
authors.forename: Shuji
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fukunaga
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tomoeda
authors.forename: Hidetsugu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Hori
authors.forename: Tomohiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ueda
authors.forename: Ryusuke
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Mori
authors.forename: Shigeaki
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aoyagi
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D007564:Japan; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D012086:Reoperation; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D015996:Survival Rate