Late-term results of mitral valve replacement with St. Jude Medical mechanical valve prosthesis: Samsun experience

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: We have reported the short- and long-term results of mitral valve replacement in this article. METHODS: Mitral valve replacement was conducted in 276 patients in our clinic between January 1989 and March 2005.The youngest patient was 4 years old and the oldest patient was 74 years old. Mean age was 40.08 +/- 1.06 y. Of these patients, 41.3% were men and 58.7% were women.The reason for operation was mitral stenosis in 96 patients (34.78%), mitral insufficiency in 78 patients (29.26%) and mitral stenosis plus mitral insufficiency in 102 patients (36.96%).The aetiology of mitral valve lesions was acute rheumatic fever in 208 patients (75.36%).The aetiology of mitral valve lesions was degenerative in 37 patients (13.41%), ischaemic in 23 patients (8.33%) and congenital in 8 patients (2.9%). RESULTS: In the 5, 10 and 15-year periods, the actual survival rates were 87.64% +/- 2.02%, 83.35% +/- 2.38% and 68.19% +/- 5.63%, respectively. Thromboembolism was observed in 38 patients (13.77%).The rates of actual freedom from thromboembolism in the 5, 10 and 15-year periods were 93.08% +/- 1.53%, 88.48% +/- 1.99% and 81.06% +/- 3.43%, respectively. Of the 276 patients who had been observed for 15 years, 5 had (1.81%) valvular thrombosis.The rates of actual freedom from valvular thrombosis in the 5, 10 and 15-year periods were 98.89% +/- 0.64%, 98.04% +/- 0.87% and 98.04% +/- 0.87%, respectively. In the 15-year period, 23 patients (8.33%) had haemorrhage due to anti-coagulation.The rates of actual freedom from haemorrhage due to anti-coagulation in the 5, 10 and 15-year periods were 95.64% +/- 1.23%, 93.40% +/- 1.56% and 87.73% +/- 2.96%, respectively. Seven patients (2.54%) had prosthetic valvular endocarditis. The rates of actual freedom from endocarditis in the 5, 10 and 15-year periods were 98.51% +/- 0.74%, 97.60% +/- 0.97% and 97.01% +/- 1.13%, respectively. Nine patients (3.27%) were re-operated. The rates of actual freedom from re-operation in the 5, 10 and 15-year periods were 97.45% +/- 0.95%, 96.58% +/- 1.12% and 96.58% +/- 1.12%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: St. Jude Medical mechanical valve prosthesis has been the valve of choice in our clinic owing to its excellent haemodynamic properties and low rates of complication.     

Pulmonary autograft mitral valve replacement: initial experience with the Ross II procedure

BACKGROUND: The renewed interest in mitral valve replacement with a pulmonary autograft encouraged us to perform this procedure in selected patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: From August 2000 to February 2002, 10 patients between 30 and 52 years of age with calcific mitral valvular disease underwent the Ross II procedure. Patients were either in New York Heart Association functional class III (7/10) or IV (3/10). Transthoracic echocardiography was done in all the patients to confirm the diagnosis. A pulmonary autograft was used to replace the diseased mitral valve. Intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography confirmed normal functioning of the autograft. There were 2 early deaths. The 8 survivors are in New York Heart Association functional class I with excellent autograft and homograft function at a follow-up of 2-20 months (mean 9 months). CONCLUSIONS: This procedure is a viable option for mitral valve replacement in patients with calcific mitral valve disease. However, the procedure is technically demanding and requires a valve bank.     

Refractory ventricular arrhythmias in a patient with mitral valve prolapse. Successful control with mitral valve replacement

A 35-year-old woman with proven mitral valve prolapse developed life threatening ventricular arrhythmias which were refractory to medical therapy. She had one episode of "cardiac arrest" presumably due to ventricular tachycardia or possibly ventricular fibrillation, and was successfully resuscitated with closed chest compression. Mitral valve replacement resulted in dramatic control of the ventricular arrhythmias. Over a period of three years following the operation, she has been able to resume an active life with occasional ventricular premature beats and no further episodes of ventricular tachyarrhythmias.     

Transcatheter mitral valve replacement

Transcatheter mitral valve (MV) repair, specifically the edge-to-edge leaflet repair, is a less invasive treatment of symptomatic mitral regurgitation (MR) in patients with high or prohibitive surgical risk. In cases with severe leaflet calcification, small mitral orifice area, and/or extremely wide regurgitation across the entire MV commissure, transcatheter MV repair may rather cause suboptimal or potentially hazardous outcomes. In these cases, MV replacement can be a more suitable option. Recently, percutaneous transcatheter MV replacement has emerged as an acceptable therapeutic option for the treatment of degenerated surgical bioprosthetic disease. Moreover, several transcatheter devices for native MV replacement are under evaluation with a hope to provide more complete and reproducible restoration of MV function. In this article, we will review current status, applications, clinical outcomes, and limitations that need to be overcome for transcatheter MV replacement for both degenerated surgical bioprosthetic disease and native MV disorders.     

Long-term experience with mitral valve replacement: an evolving strategy for prosthesis selection

MVR was examined in 181 patients undergoing 188 consecutive operations during a 12 1/2-year observation time. Hospital mortality for MVR without aortic valve disease was 7 of 156 or 4.5% and was independent of the valve type employed and the presence of coronary artery pathology. Late cardiac mortality in isolated MVR was significantly greater in those patients receiving a Starr-Edward 6120 prosthesis when compared to those receiving an MPX. The presence of coronary artery pathology, however, defines the patient subgroup with the poorest late survival. Tissue durability has not significantly altered late survival after MPX. However, the actuarial analysis of tissue failure reveals important increases in tissue failure incidence 5 years after placement. Although MPX is our prosthesis of choice for MVR, limited tissue durability creates an important subgroup for judicious use of a mechanical prosthesis. We conclude that no valve type should be championed as "the valve" for all patients undergoing MVR. The selection of a valve for MVR remains a difficult judgment which must be tempered by the patients age, history of previous operations, severity of his present illness, and the feasibility of a second MVR.     

Early results with stentless mitral valve replacement

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY: Implantation of a chordally supported stentless mitral valve (SMV) may be the strategy of choice for patients with severe degenerative mitral valve disease. Herein, the early clinical results of this surgical technique were analyzed. METHODS: Since August 1997, 52 patients (36 females, 16 males; mean age 68.0 +/- 8.5 years) each received a SMV (Quattro; St. Jude Medical Inc.) at the authors' institution. The underlying disease was predominant mitral stenosis (n = 26), incompetence (n = 17) and combined lesion (n = 9). The mean NYHA class was 3.1 +/- 0.6, left ventricular ejection fraction 64 +/-13%, and cardiac index 2.1 +/- 0.8 1/min/m2. RESULTS: SMV implantation was performed using either a conventional sternotomy (n = 33) or a lateral minithoracotomy (n = 19). The mean implanted valve size was 29.2 +/- 1.7 mm, and mean cross-clamp time 81 +/- 33 min. Reoperation was required in six patients: two for paravalvular leakage, two for functional stenosis (both 26 mm valves), in one patient for pannus formation with underlying collagenosis, and in one for papillary flap rupture at five years. One patient died perioperatively, one died after reoperation at one year, and five patients died at longer follow up, from non-cardiac causes. Hemodynamic function was shown to be normal on echocardiography. CONCLUSION: Intermediate-term results after SMV implantation were promising. Preservation of annuloventricular continuity led to good left ventricular function, but long-term durability remains to be proven.     

Mitral valve repair versus mitral valve replacement

Zusammenfassung In den letzten 40 Jahren hat die Mitralklappenchirurgie einen grundlegenden Wandel erfahren. Der initialen Begeisterung nach der Einführung von Klappenprothesen in den 60er Jahren folgte eine Renaissance der Rekonstruktion der Mitralklappe mit der Vorstellung der Ringannuloplastie-Technik in den 70er Jahren. Die Rekonstruktion der Mitralklappe erhält die Integrität der subvalvluären Strukturen, die eine entscheidende Rolle für die linksventrikuläre Funktion spielen. Große Studien, die sowohl Früh- als auch Langzeitergebnisse nach Mitralklappenrekonstruktionen gegenüber prothetischem Klappenersatz betrachteten, zeigten eine geringere Operationsmortalität sowie eine deutlich höhere Langzeitüberlebensrate bei Patienten nach Mitralklappenrekonstruktion. Weiterhin sind spezifische Probleme, wie Thromboembolien oder Endokarditis, die bei Klappenersatzverfahren auftreten können, zu nennen. In Anbetracht dieser Tatsachen sind klappenerhaltende Rekonstruktionstechniken von Vorteil. Jedoch ist die Entscheidung für eine Mitralklappenrekonstruktion von unterschiedlichen Faktoren abhängig, wie der Ätiologie der Mitralklappenerkrankung und der daraus folgenden Pathomorphologie der Klappe, sowie patientenabhängigen Einflüssen, wie z.B. Alter oder Kontraindikationen für eine Antikoagulationstherapie und nicht zuletzt der Erfahrung des Chirurgen. Somit ist der Prozess der Wahl eines geeigneten Operationsverfahrens sehr komplex und individuell von jedem Patienten abhängig zu machen. Sowohl Studiendaten als auch Datenbanken großer Patientenkollektive reflektieren die Vorteile der Mitralklappenrekonstruktion mit einem Rekonstruktionsanteil von bis zu 75 % in der gesamten Mitralklappenchirurgie. In den letzten 5 Jahren wurde der videoassistierte Zugang zur Mitralklappe über eine rechtslaterale Minithorakotomie zu einem etablierten Verfahren entwickelt. Dieser minimalinvasive Zugang erlaubt sowohl komplexe Rekonstruktions- als auch Klappenersatzverfahren unter anderem mit gerüstfreien Bioprothesen. Zusätzliche chirurgische Verfahren, wie die linksatriale Hochfrequenzablation zur Herstellung eines Sinusrhythmus bei Patienten mit Vorhofflimmern, verbessern das Operationsergebnis nach Mitralklappenchirurgie sowohl hinsichtlich der kardialen Funktion als auch der Lebensqualität für den Patienten deutlich und können ebenfalls über den minimalinvasiven Zugang durchgeführt werden. Summary Over the past 40 years mitral valve surgery has changed dramatically. After initial enthusiasm with the introduction of valve prostheses in the 1960s, a renewed interest in repair techniques began in the 1970s with the introduction of annuloplasty rings. These repair techniques revealed that the integrity of the subvalvular apparatus plays an important role in left ventricular function. When considering the major series comparing early and late results of mitral valve repair versus prosthetic mitral valve replacement, operative mortality rate is lower for patients with mitral valve repair. Long-term results also show a superior survival rate after mitral valve reconstruction. In addition, several problems can occur with the prosthetic valve, such as thromboembolism and endocarditis. All of these factors favor valve repair over replacement. The success of mitral valve repair depends on many factors: etiology of the mitral valve disease and the resultant pathomorphology of the valve, patient's circumstances such as age or contraindication for anticoagulation, and the experience of the surgeon. The decision whether to repair or replace the mitral valve depends on these factors. Data in the literature and in large collective databases reflect the advantages of mitral valve repair, with over 75 % of current mitral valve surgeries being repairs. In the past 5 years the exposure of the mitral valve through a right lateral minithoracotomy using video assistance has developed into a widespread technique. This approach allows complex mitral valve repair as well as mitral valve replacement even with biological stentless prostheses, with decreased morbidity. The addition of radiofrequency ablation for restoration of sinus rhythm enhances the outcome after mitral valve surgery, and can also be easily performed through a minithoracotomy technique.     

Chylomediastinum following mitral valve replacement

Chylomediastinum is a rare but potentially serious complication. There is as yet no definitive treatment. We present an exceptional case of chylomediastinum due to mitral valve replacement. The patient was successfully treated using a conservative approach with total parenteral nutrition, nothing by mouth, and mediastinal tube drainage.     

Quadrileaflet stentless mitral valve replacement

BACKGROUND: The study evaluates clinical results and hemodynamic parameters one year after implantation of a stentless quadrileaflet mitral valve (QMV). METHODS: Since August 1997 28 patients received the QMV, patient age was 69 +/- 8 years; 13 had predominant mitral stenosis and 15 incompetence, preoperative NYHA functional class was III or IV and cardiac index 1.8 +/- 0.6 L/min/m2. RESULTS: Surgery was performed using a conventional (25) or a minimally invasive approach (3). 20 patients received a medium and 8 a large-size prosthesis, crossclamp time was 58 +/- 19 min. Additional procedures were myocardial revascularization in four, tricuspid repair in two, and left-atrial radiofrequency ablation to restore sinus rhythm in six patients. Perioperative mortality (1) was not valve-related. All other patients were discharged on time. At postoperative, 6-, and 12-months follow-up mean transvalvular pressure gradients were 4.2 +/- 1.5 / 4 +/- 0.9/ 3.8 +/- 1.4 mmHg and mitral valve orifice area index was 1.5 +/- 0.3 / 1.6 +/- 0.3 / 1.6 +/- 0.4, NYHA class was I or II. CONCLUSIONS: The QMV is well suited for mitral valve replacement. The anulo-ventricular continuity is preserved and the QMV function resembles native mitral valve function. If its performance is maintained in the long term the QMV may be the mitral prosthesis of choice.     

Pulmonary varix regression after mitral valve replacement.

Pulmonary varix is a rare finding; only 35 documented cases have been reported. The first case was described in 1843 as an icidental postmortem finding. The first clinical diagnosis was not made until 1951. In more than half of the 35 cases, the varix was present in the absence of congenital and acquired heart disease. Six patients have had concomitant mitral rheumatic heart disease. This communication describes the second patient with rheumatic mitral regurgitation in whom the pulmonary varix became radiographically invisible after prosthetic mitral valve replacement.     

Aortic valve replacement in the elderly

In order to determine the risk of aortic valve replacement in the elderly, 77 patients over the age of 60 who had undergone this procedure were reviewed. Hypothermic-hyperkalemic cardioplegia was used in all patients. In 55 patients with isolated aortic valve replacement there were three deaths (5.5 per cent). In the entire series of 77 patients there were 13 deaths (13 per cent). In seven patients of an organ other than the heart. In only two patients did the operative death have a myocardial cause. Ninety-two per cent of the patients were in functional class I or II following surgery. Patients should come to surgery before reaching class IV. Aortic valve replacement can be carried out safely in the elderly, and the indications should be the same as for younger patients.     

Bioprosthetic valve replacement in the elderly

One hundred and ten patients aged more than 65 years (mean,73.4; range, 65–82) underwent successful bioprostheticvalve replacement (aortic, n = 71; mitral, n=32; both, n = 7)from 1979 to 1985. The valve was pericardial in 39 cases andporcine in 78. The mean follow-up was 75 months (total, 688patient-years; range, 2 months to 12 years). Actuarial patientsurvival was 79.4% at 5 years and 55.2% at 10 years. Thirty-sevenpatients died: 18 from valve-related causes and 19 from othercauses. Eight patients have been reoperated on for valve-relatedcomplications (1.17% per patient-year): five primary deteriorations,two paravalvular leaks and one case of endocarditis. One surgicaldeath occurred (12.5%). Twenty-five percent of the patientswere receiving anticoagulants because of atrial fibrillation,and 5.4% developed severe bleeding (3.8% patient-year). Mid-term follow-up of these patients aged more than 65 yearsand undergoing bioprosthetic valve replacement surgery revealeda low rate of documented primary structural deterioration (0.9%per patient-year), a low mortality rate on reoperation (12.5%)and a high mortality rate due to non valve-related causes (51.4%).