A look at recent improvements in the durability of tissue valves.
BACKGROUND
The various uses of biological valves for either aortic or mitral valve replacement have recently increased because of the growing proportion of elderly patients requiring surgery.


RESULTS
The durability of recent xenografts has been reported to be over 90 % at 10 years after aortic or mitral valve replacement for elderly patients more than 65 years of age, and therefore the guidelines now recommend the use of bioprostheses for patients over 65 years of age. Bioprostheses are also recommended for valve replacement of the right side of the heart by several authors; however, no clear guidelines are available. Trans-catheter aortic valve replacement and percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation are promising procedures for high-risk patients, although evaluation of the long-term durability of these valves is mandatory.


CONCLUSIONS
This article will review the development of the tissue valve for valve surgery.
Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Kyushu University Graduate School of Medical Sciences, 3-1-1 Maidashi, Higashi-ku, Fukuoka, 812-8582, Japan. tnishida@heart.med.kyushu-u.ac.jp
Takahiro
T
Nishida
Ryuji
R
Tominaga
D000368:Aged; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis / Q000009:adverse effects; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods; D006351:Heart Valves / Q000601:surgery* / Q000637:transplantation; D006801:Humans; D011475:Prosthesis Failure; D015996:Survival Rate; D014183:Transplantation, Heterologous