title: Early and mid-term outcome in terms of functional and hemodynamic performance of the st. Jude regent 19-mm aortic mechanical prosthesis versus 19-mm carpentier edwards aortic biological prosthesis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of the present study is to compare the early and mid-term clinical and hemodynamic results of the aortic valve replacement (AVR) with a St Jude Medical Regent 19-mm prosthesis (SJMR-19) versus Carpentied-Edwars bovine pericardial 19-mm valve (CE-19).
  
  
  METHODS
  Between January 2002 and January 2012, 265 patients (Group I) and 58 patients (Group II) with underwent AVR with a SJMR-19 and CE-19 respectively. There were no significant differences between groups regarding the demographic and preoperative echocardiographic data. Thirty-six patients in Group I and 4 in Group II required annulus enlargement in association or not with septal myectomy. The mean follow-up was 34 ± 18.5 months (range 5-60 months).
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were 14 (5.3 %) hospital deaths in Group I versus 4 (6.8 %) in Group II (p = 0.86). The multivariate logistic regression analysis identified the LVEF ≤ 35 % (p = 0.001), combined operation (p = 0.0005), CPB (p = 0.033), age (p = 0.011), annulus enlargement (p = 0.0009), reoperation (p = 0.039) and chronic renal failure (p = 0.011) as strong predictors for early postoperative death. Within 1 year after surgery peak pulmonary artery pressure, interventricular septal and left ventricular posterior wall thickness decreased significantly in both groups. The M-TPG was 15.7 ± 6.5 mmHg in Group I versus 17 ± 7 mmHg in Group II (p = 0.19). The multivariate regression analysis revealed the annulus enlargement (p = 0.018), small EOAi (p = 0.00004), postoperative LVMi (p = 0.0001) and BSA (p = 0.019) as strong predictors for higher M-TPG. The postoperative LVMi was 119 ± 22.5 gm/m(2) in Group I and 122 ± 22 gm/m(2) in Group II (p = 0.37), significantly lower than the respective preoperative values 162.5 ± 34 gm/m(2) (Group I) and 168 ± 30 gm/m(2) (Group II). The actuarial survival and cumulative free-reoperation actuarial survival at 5 years follow-up were 96.7 and 94.5 % respectively in Group I and 97 and 91 % in Group II.. There were non significant differences between groups regarding the actuarial survival and cumulative free-reoperation survival. The Cox model identified the older age (p = 0.022), LVEF ≤ 35 % (p = 0.009), reoperation (p = 0.018), combined surgery (p = 0.00075) and annulus enlargement (p = 0.033) as strong predictors for poor actuarial free-reoperation survival.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Both the SJMR-19 and CE-19 offers excellent postoperative clinical and hemodynamic outcome in patients with small aortic annulus. The LV hypertrophy and transvalvular gradients are reduced significantly indenpendently of the employed SJMR-19 or CE-19 prosthesis. Our data support recent suggestions that small valve size does not influence intermediate free-reoperation survival. The CE-19 is an excellent alternative to SJMR-19 in old patients.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Center of Tirana, Tirana, Albania.
authors.forename: Edvin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Prifti
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Policlinico Careggy, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bonacchi
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Center of Pristina, Pristina, Kosovo. fadilademaj1971@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Fadil
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Ademaj
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Sciences, Policlinico Careggy, University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Giunti
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardac Surgery, Humanitas Gavazzeni Clinic, Bergamo, Italy.
authors.forename: Giampiero
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Esposito
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Center of Tirana, Tirana, Albania.
authors.forename: Arben
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Baboci
authors.affiliation: University Hospital Center of Pristina, Pristina, Kosovo.
authors.forename: Gani
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Bajraktari
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Center of Tirana, Tirana, Albania.
authors.forename: Altin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Veshti
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Center of Tirana, Tirana, Albania.
authors.forename: Aurel
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Demiraj
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardac Surgery, Humanitas Gavazzeni Clinic, Bergamo, Italy.
authors.forename: Vittorio
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Vanini
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D005260:Female; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D063826:Kosovo; D016015:Logistic Models; D008297:Male; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D012086:Reoperation; D016019:Survival Analysis; D016896:Treatment Outcome