人工瓣膜功能障碍的外科治疗

目的 总结41例人工心脏瓣膜功能障碍(PHVD)的临床特点、外科治疗方法 及围术期处理经验.方法 手术均在全麻低温体外循环下进行;1例采取股动脉插管左侧开胸,40例均经原切口,主动脉、上下腔静脉插管建立体外循环.38例行瓣膜置换术,使用机械瓣35枚(二尖瓣位23枚,主动脉瓣位11枚,三尖瓣位1枚),生物瓣6枚(二尖瓣位3枚、主动脉瓣位2枚、三尖瓣位1枚);2例行瓣膜角度矫正术;1例行异物清除术.急诊手术13例,择期手术28例.结果 全组气管插管5.1～243.0 h,平均63.3 h,中位时间15.3 h;气管切开5例.全组死亡6例,病死率14.6%,均发生于急诊手术后,死因为低心排血量综合征3例、多器官衰竭2例及恶性心律失常1例.并发症包括感染性心内膜炎、顽固性呃逆及切口感染各1例.结论 对急性PHVD,无论是生物瓣或机械瓣,均应立即进行急诊手术.对慢性PHVD亦应强调及早再次手术.     

再次直视心脏瓣膜置换术疗效分析

目的 总结再次直视心脏瓣膜置换术的治疗体会.方法 2002年1月至2009年12月完成再次直视心脏瓣膜置换术104例,占同期瓣膜置换手术的2.92%(104/3557).男性53例,女性51例,年龄13～72岁,平均(46±14)岁.心功能(NYHA分级)Ⅱ级7例,Ⅲ级67例,Ⅳ级30例.其中二尖瓣或主动脉瓣置换术后其他瓣膜病变28例,二尖瓣瓣膜成形术后再发二尖瓣关闭不全10例,瓣周漏19例,生物瓣衰败7例,先天性心脏病矫治术再发瓣膜病变18例,人工瓣膜心内膜炎10例,人工瓣膜机械功能障碍9例,其他3例.再次手术方式包括二尖瓣和主动脉瓣双瓣置换2例,二尖瓣置换59例,主动脉瓣置换24例,三尖瓣置换16例,Bentall术3例.两次手术间隔1个月～19年.结果 全组早期死亡8例,早期死亡主要原因为术后低心排血量综合征、肾功能不全或多脏器功能衰竭,病死率7.7%.术中大出血2例,术后再次开胸止血2例,胸骨正中切口感染1例.随访3个月～7年2个月,平均3年4个月.晚期死亡2例,1例抗凝过量颅内出血,另1例原因不明.其余存活患者术后半年随访心功能(NYHA分级)Ⅰ级67例,Ⅱ级27例.结论 再次换瓣手术如恰当掌握手术时机、术中加强心肌保护、保证准确的手术操作、注重围手术期处理,临床近、远期效果满意.     

再次心瓣膜置换术25例

目的探讨再次心瓣膜置换术的手术时机、方法及并发症的防治。方法回顾性分析再次心瓣膜置换术25例患者的临床资料，男10例，女15例，年龄25～53岁；其中二尖瓣生物瓣置换术后瓣膜衰坏15例，机械瓣置换术后血栓形成致瓣膜功能障碍4例，人工瓣膜感染性心内膜炎4例，瓣周漏2例。术前心功能Ⅲ级10例，Ⅳ级15例。其中3例机械瓣置换术后血栓形成致急性瓣膜功能障碍和2例生物瓣衰坏合并重度心力衰竭行急诊手术。结果早期死亡3例，死亡率12％，均死于术后低心排血量综合征。术后并发脑气栓及大量渗血各1例。存活22例，随访1～16年，晚期死于右心衰竭1例，并发主动脉瓣和二尖瓣瓣周漏1例。其余患者心功能恢复良好。结论合理选择手术时机，术中加强心肌保护，彻底排除心腔残气及防治出血是提高再次心瓣膜置换术疗效的关键。     

1 003例瓣膜置换手术围手术期处理

目的总结1003例心脏瓣膜置换手术病例临床特点及围手术期处理经验。方法手术在体外循环中度低温下进行，其中单纯二尖瓣置换术（MVR）555例，主动脉瓣及二尖瓣置换术（BVR）273例，主动脉瓣置换术（AVR）139例，三尖瓣置换术（TVR）26例，三瓣置换术10例。全组病人按≤40岁、41—59岁、≥60岁分为3组，分别为152、572、279例。结果975例（97．2％）恢复出院，死亡28例（2．8％）。3组死亡率分别为3．3％，1．7％，4．7％。死因分别为呼吸循环衰竭11例、多脏器功能衰竭10例、室性心律失常5例、肾功能衰竭2例。发生各种并发症74例次。结论瓣膜置换术是治疗瓣膜病变的有效手段，选择适当的手术时机，改进和完善体外循环技术，加强术中心肌保护，不断改进和提高手术技巧，尽量保留瓣下结构的二尖瓣置换术，能减少瓣膜置换术的手术风险，提高手术疗效。主动脉瓣置换时应尽量去除钙化的瓣叶，置入大一号的瓣膜，减少跨瓣压差，有利于左室重构。术中应常规探查三尖瓣，对瓣环明显扩大的病人予以三尖瓣成形术。心脏大的病人尤应注意围术期电解质的变化，防止发生恶性心律失常。生物瓣的术后抗凝较机械瓣方便，并发症也少，应提高生物瓣的应用比例。围手术期处理得当，可减少术后并发症及降低病死率，老年病人术前合并症多、病情重，应加强围手术期监护。     

国产GK型双叶式人工心脏瓣膜的临床应用

目的观察和评价国产GK型双叶式人工心脏瓣膜(GK双叶瓣)植入人体后的早期临床疗效和近期随访结果。方法对61例心脏瓣膜病变患者行人工心脏瓣膜置换术,其中二尖瓣置换术(M VR)34例,主动脉瓣置换术(AVR)16例,二尖瓣和主动脉瓣双瓣膜置换术(M VR+AVR)11例。共植入GK双叶瓣72枚,其中二尖瓣45枚,主动脉瓣27枚;术后监测血液相容性和血流动力学指标,并定期随访和检查是否有与瓣膜相关的并发症发生。结果全组无手术死亡(术后30d内);随访61例,随访1年至2年6个月,远期因外伤死亡1例;其余60例患者术后心功能均从Ⅲ~Ⅳ级转为Ⅰ~Ⅱ级,血流动力学性能及生物相容性良好,生活质量改善。结论GK双叶瓣早期临床应用获得了满意的效果,其近期随访未发现与瓣膜相关的并发症,中、远期结果有待进一步随访观察。     

心脏瓣膜病再次手术221例临床分析

目的总结既往有二尖瓣闭式扩张术、瓣膜成形术、瓣周漏及生物瓣失功能等的患者再次瓣膜手术的经验。方法自1998年1月至2005年8月,实施心脏瓣膜病再次手术221例,其中急症手术8例。其中二尖瓣闭式扩张后再狭窄105例,二尖瓣或主动脉瓣成形术后复发性瓣膜病变37例,瓣周漏29例,生物瓣衰败18例,其他瓣膜再发病变11例,人工瓣膜机械功能障碍9例,Ebstein畸形矫治术后三尖瓣关闭不全7例,人工瓣膜心内膜炎5例。再次手术方式包括二尖瓣置换、二尖瓣和主动脉瓣双瓣置换、主动脉瓣置换、三尖瓣置换。两次手术间隔时间1～21年。结果全组术后死亡19例,占8．6％。早期死亡主要原因为术后低心排综合征、恶性心律失常、多脏器功能衰竭与肾功能衰竭,其中急症手术8例中死亡3例,术前心功能Ⅳ级者手术死亡9例,病死率为14．5％（9／62例）。结论瓣膜病再次手术危险因素包括急症手术、术前心功能差、合并其他重要脏器功能不全、体外循环时间和主动脉阻断时间长等。针对这些因素积极防治,可以进一步降低这类患者手术病死率和并发症发生率。     

再次心瓣膜置换术105例的临床分析

目的总结人工机械瓣置换术后再次行心瓣膜置换术的临床经验,探讨人工机械瓣置换术后再次心瓣膜置换术的病因、术中技术环节及围术期处理方法。方法自2001年1月至2008年12月共105例人工机械瓣置换术后患者在我中心再次行心脏手术,男59例,女46例;年龄50.2±10.6岁。其中二尖瓣置换术或/+三尖瓣成形术(TVP)31例,主动脉瓣置换或/+TVP 38例,Bentall手术(包括全根置换)11例,二尖瓣+主动脉瓣置换或/+TVP7例,三尖瓣置换术8例,瓣周漏修补术6例,其它手术4例。再次心脏手术距第一次手术时间为3个月~18年(46.3±31.9个月)。术前心功能分级(NYHA)Ⅱ级27例,Ⅲ级53例,Ⅳ级25例。结果手术死亡6例,总病死率5.71%(6/105),其他患者术后心功能均恢复到Ⅰ~Ⅱ级。死亡原因为:术后多器官功能衰竭1例,术前心功能Ⅳ级、术后严重低心排血量1例,术后假性动脉瘤破裂1例,严重脑部并发症导致感染1例,人工瓣膜心内膜炎(PVE)2例。人工机械瓣置换后再次心瓣膜置换术原因为:瓣周漏67例(63.80%),PVE 16例(15.23%),血栓形成14例(13.33%),继发其它瓣膜病变8例。术后随访11~107个月,因心搏骤停、脑出血远期死亡2例。结论机械瓣置换术后有一定的再手术率,其再次心瓣膜置换术的重要原因包括:瓣周漏、人工瓣膜心内膜炎和血栓形成。充分的术前准备、正确手术时机的选择、不同体外循环方法的应用及合理的术中技术环节的应用是手术成功的关键。     

儿童心脏瓣膜置换手术及其疗效

目的探讨儿童心脏瓣膜置换手术及治疗效果。方法1990年1月至2002年12月，45例14岁以下儿童施行了心脏瓣膜置换手术。其中男26例，女19例。年龄3—14岁，平均10．8岁；≤10岁15例，10～14岁30例。包括先天性心脏瓣膜病32例，风湿性瓣膜病6例，心内膜炎3例，部分型房室管畸形修补术后二尖瓣关闭不全3例，室间隔缺损修补术后主动脉关闭不全1例。行二尖瓣置换23例，其中2例为矫正型大动脉转位行解剖位三尖瓣置换，主动脉瓣置换9例；二尖瓣与主动脉瓣双瓣置换4例；三尖瓣置换9例。5例使用生物瓣膜或同种主动脉瓣，余40例均采用机械瓣膜，包括进口双叶瓣34枚，进口单叶瓣3枚，国产单叶瓣7枚。结果本组手术死亡(术后30d内)2例，死亡率4．4％，均死于手术当日，1例因顽固性心律失常，1例术后低心输出量综合征。生存者随访8个月-12年，平均4．9年。4例晚期死亡，晚期死亡率9．3％。置入机械瓣膜者均采用华法林抗凝治疗，未发生血栓栓塞及抗凝相关并发症，病儿术后心功能均Ⅰ-Ⅱ级。结论儿童瓣膜病病人，大多数可以置入合适的成人型号人工瓣膜，保证其术后生长发育，减少二次手术。采用华法林进行抗凝治疗，经过平均4．5年随访，无血栓栓塞或抗凝有关的出血并发症发生，治疗效果较为满意。     

成人小主动脉瓣环患者的心瓣膜置换术

目的总结成人小主动脉瓣环行心瓣膜置换术的临床经验，以提高手术效果。方法对26例成人小主动脉瓣环患者行人工机械瓣膜置换术，单纯主动脉瓣置换17例，二尖瓣、主动脉瓣双瓣膜置换9例。采用Manougnian法主动脉瓣环加宽7例，瓣膜侧倾缝合置换主动脉瓣膜6例，瓣环上主动脉瓣置换13例，在双瓣膜置换中均先置换主动脉瓣后再置换二尖瓣。结果26例患者中无手术死亡，术后随访时间6～48个月（12±3个月），心功能均明显改善（Ⅰ级10例、Ⅱ级16例），无远期死亡。术后主动脉瓣有效瓣口面积指数（EOAI）1．02～1．44cm^2／m^3（〉0．85cm^2／m^3），无瓣膜-患者不匹配现象（PPM）。结论主动脉瓣病变伴小主动脉瓣环的成人患者行心瓣膜置换，选择新型人工瓣膜行瓣环上主动脉瓣置换是理想的选择，瓣膜侧倾缝合是可选择的方法，二尖瓣、主动脉瓣双瓣膜置换时先置换主动脉瓣可降低手术操作难度，大部分患者无需行瓣环扩大术。     

小年龄患儿的二尖瓣置换手术

目的 总结5岁以下二尖瓣病变患儿行二尖瓣置换手术的治疗经验.方法 2008年1月至2011年12月,共12例5岁以下的二尖瓣病变患儿进行二尖瓣置换手术.其中男9例,女3例;年龄4～58个月,平均(26.2±18.1)个月;体质量5.6 ～13.0 kg,平均(9.6±3.8) kg.患儿有中度以上二尖瓣反流或(和)明显的二尖瓣狭窄,均伴有明显的心功能衰竭.3例为二尖瓣成形术后再行二尖瓣置换术.均置入机械瓣膜,9例采用17 ～ 23号主动脉瓣反向置入,3例采用25～27号二尖瓣正向置入.结果 手术死亡1例(8.3％).术后心律失常2例,轻度溶血2例,经治疗均恢复正常.11例生存患儿心功能改善明显,未出现出血和血栓形成等异常情况.结论 严重二尖瓣病变对小年龄儿童的心功能影响极大,尽早手术干预是惟一的选择,二尖瓣置换术是二尖瓣成形手术效果不佳患儿的最后选择.采用型号相对较小的主动脉瓣倒置置入二尖瓣环内,基本解决了机械瓣瓣膜-患者不匹配的问题,但置入小型号机械瓣的患儿再次行二尖瓣置换术的可能较大;小年龄儿童有良好的抗凝依从性,但需加强监测抗凝指标,以防发生出血和栓塞.     

Optimal size of prostheses for functioning of the aortic prosthetic valve in aortic and mitral valve replacement with annular enlargement through Manouguian's technique

There is not yet agreement about the optimal size of the prostheses in aortic and mitral valve replacement with Manouguian's technique. In this technique, the aortic prosthetic valve can be pushed upon the mitral prosthesis which may cause dysfunction of the aortic prosthetic valve. The aim of this study was to clarify the size of the prostheses needed to avoid dysfunction of the aortic prosthetic valve. Three patients underwent aortic and mitral valve replacement through this procedure. Two of them had active aortic and mitral valve endocarditis. Aortomitral continuity involved with abscesses could be approached and completely excised using this technique. All patients survived the operation, but 1 of them suffered aortic mechanical valve dysfunction for the reason stated. Anatomical analysis of the geometrical relation of the 2 prosthetic valves suggests that the mitral annulus should be enlarged less than 25 mm to avoid dysfunction of the aortic prosthetic valve.     

Bileaflet mechanical valve (St. Jude Medical valve) replacement in long-term dialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: Few reports exist on the results of bileaflet mechanical valve (St. Jude Medical prosthesis; St. Jude Medical, Inc, St. Paul, MN) replacement in long-term dialysis patients. METHODS AND RESULTS: We retrospectively reviewed 12 patients, ranging in age from 50 to 86, undergoing long-term renal dialysis who had also undergone mechanical valve replacement at our institution. Operative procedures included aortic valve replacement, aortic and mitral valve replacement, aortic valve replacement and mitral annuloplasty, mitral valve replacement, and modified Bentall's operation. There was 1 hospital death (8.3%). During the mean follow-up period of 37.1 months (range: 5-87 months), there were 2 noncardiac late deaths. Bleeding from the esophageal varix and from a duodenal ulcer occurred in 1 patient with end-stage liver cirrhosis. There were no other major cases of bleeding or cerebrovascular accidents. There were no valve-related complications. All the survivors demonstrated excellent clinical improvement under the NYHA functional classification. CONCLUSIONS: Our study demonstrated good early and long-term results of mechanical valve replacement in patients undergoing long-term dialysis. These favorable results support the continued use of mechanical valves in dialysis patients.     

经主动脉切口治疗主动脉根部瘤合并二尖瓣病变

目的 总结经主动脉切口治疗主动脉根部瘤合并二尖瓣病变的初步经验。方法 2009年3月至2010年12月,经主动脉瓣口行二尖瓣手术16例中男13例,女3例;年龄18～ 75岁,平均(40±10)岁。16例中Bentall+ MVR术12例,Bentall+ MVP术1例,Bentall+全弓置换+支架象鼻+MVP术1例,...     

Aortic and mitral valve replacement with reconstruction of the intervalvular fibrous body: an analysis of clinical outcomes

OBJECTIVE: This study was undertaken to evaluate the late outcomes of reconstruction of the intervalvular fibrous body during aortic and mitral valve replacement. METHODS: Seventy-six consecutive patients underwent reconstruction of the intervalvular fibrous body with replacement of the mitral and aortic valves. There were 35 men and 41 women whose mean age was 58 +/- 12 years. Additional procedures were circumferential reconstruction of the mitral annulus in 27 patients, tricuspid valve repair in 21, coronary artery bypass in 15, and aortic root replacement in 4. Indications for the operation were active infective endocarditis with abscess in 15 patients, extensive calcification of the mitral annulus and interventricular fibrous body in 24, lack of fibrous tissue to secure a prosthetic valve in 17, and treatment or prevention of patient-prosthesis mismatch in 20. Fifty-five patients had undergone one or more previous valve operations, and 52 (68%) were in functional class IV. The mean follow-up was 47 +/- 47 months, and it was complete. RESULTS: There were 8 (10%) operative and 18 (24%) late deaths. The 10-year survival was 50% +/- 9%. There were 15 reoperations in 12 patients: 7 for prosthetic valve endocarditis (5 early, 2 late), 7 for patch or valve dehiscence (3 early, 4 late), and 1 for structural valve deterioration. All but 2 reoperations were re-reconstruction of the intervalvular fibrous body and double valve replacement. The 10-year freedom from reoperation was 73% +/- 7%. CONCLUSION: Reconstruction of the intervalvular fibrous body during double valve replacement is a technically challenging operation, but it is useful in patients with complex valve pathology for whom no alternative procedure is available.     

Long-term results of porcine bioprosthetic valves

Between November 1977 and October 1980, 54 patients underwent valve replacements with porcine bioprostheses at Hyogo Kenritsu Amagasaki Hospital. The late complications and the long term durability of 53 porcine bioprostheses were documented in 48 patients after discharge (34 mitral, 7 aortic, 2 tricuspid, and 5 multiple, consisting of 38 Hancock, 15 Carpentier-Edwards prostheses). Cumulative duration of follow-up is 420 patient-years. The valve related late mortality was 0.52%/patient-years. There were 6 thromboembolic events (1.6% patient-years), only 1 episode of endocarditis (0.26%/patient-years). Valve dysfunction is defined as stenosis or regurgitation by echocardiogram or cardiac catheterization. There were 21 instances of porcine bioprosthetic dysfunction (6.6% patient-years). Freedom from valve dysfunction at 12 years was 24.4%. There were 17 valves of mitral bioprosthetic dysfunction (6.4% patient-years). The incidences of mitral stenosis (MS), mitral regurgitation (MR), and paravalvular leakage were 4.5, 3.6, and 0.7%/patient-years respectively. Freedom from MR was higher than MS at 8 years. The 14 patients were needed reoperation due to valve dysfunction (3.6%/patient-years). We concluded that the porcine bioprostheses showed a high incidence of valve dysfunction at 7 to 8 years after operation, we presently choose mechanical valve in most cases.     

Reoperations in valvular heart disease

Background Reoperations for valvular heart disease are associated with a higher overall mortality than the primary operations. In this retrospective analysis, we present our experience of reoperative valvular heart surgery over a period of 25 years. Methods From January 1975 to July 2000, 13039 operations were performed for valvular heart disease. Of these 665 were reoperations. The mean age of the patients at the primary operation was 24.0±10.2 years (range: 8 to 65 years) and at re-operation was 35.6±11.6 years (range: 9 to 65 years) with an interval of 9.4±2.2 years (range: 0.2 to 25 years) between the 2 procedures. Four hundred and forty reoperations were performed following a previous closed mitral valvotomy and procedures included, redo closed mitral valvotomy (n=28), mitral valve replacement (n=30), open mitral commissurotomy (n=51), mitral valve repair (n=9), homograft mitral valve replacement (n=2), double valve replacement (n=47), aortic valve replacement (n=2) and homograft aortic valve replacement plus open mitral commissurotomy (n=l). Eighty six patients underwent reoperations following mitral valve replacement. Valve thrombosis (n=50) and endocarditis (n=10) were principle causes of reoperation. Forty three patients required reoperation following failed mitral valve repair, 19 following open mitral commissurotomy and 8 following homograft mitral valve replacement. Sixty five patients underwent reoperation following aortic valve operations: prosthetic aortic valve replacement in 43, homograft aortic valve replacement in 5, aortic valve repair in 10, and Ross procedure in 7. Results Majority of patients were operated through midsternotomy. Aortic cannulation was possible in all but 4 patients in whom femoral artery cannulation was required. Operative mortality following reoperations was 7.5% (n=50). Peri-operative bleeding, low cardiac output and infective endocarditis were major causes of operative deaths. Other post-operative complications included cerebrovascular accident (n=3), acute renal failure (n=10) and jaundice (n=25). Fifteen patients developed significant wound infection. Conclusions Patients undergoing operation for valvular heart disease frequently require reoperation. Reoperative valvular heart surgery is safe and can be undertaken with acceptable mortality and morbidity.     

Reoperations for left-sided low-profile mechanical prosthetic obstructions

A series of 2,474 hospital survivors of primary mitral, aortic, and double mitral-aortic valve replacement were observed for a cumulative period of 11.945 years (mean, 4.2 years; range, 0.6-14 years). The linearized incidences of reoperations for thrombotic obstructions were 0.33 +/- 0.08% for mitral valve replacement, 0.36 +/- 0.1% for aortic valve replacement, and 0.42 +/- 0.1% for double valve replacement (p = not significant). Forty-one patients (16 mitral, 12 aortic, and 13 double valve replacements) underwent a total of 44 reoperations with a mean interval of 36 +/- 29 months (range, 0.25-85 months) between operations. Diagnosis was established invasively only in 13 patients (30%). Hospital mortality at reoperation was 18% (8 patients); 28 patients (63%) required emergency surgery. The choice surgical procedures were thrombectomy for clotted aortic prostheses (18 of 24) and valve replacement for obstructed mitral valves (22 of 25; p less than .001). Rethrombosis occurred in 3 patients (1 aortic and 2 double valve replacements). At hospital admission 17 patients (38%) had prothrombin times outside therapeutic ranges (between 20 to 30% of the normal value). The incidence of reoperations for thrombosis in low-profile mechanical prostheses was unaffected by valvar position and number of prostheses implanted. Rethrombosis occurred only in previously cleaned valves, although its occurrence was not significant. The present results indicate that, as experience is gained in the diagnosis and surgical management of this complication, hospital mortality can be reduced significantly (from 37% to 4%).     

The effects of morphine anesthesia on blood requirements during and after valve replacement and coronary artery bypass grafting

A comparison of the effects of anesthetic doses of morphine—1 to 3 mg. per kilogram of body weight—and halothane—0.1 to 1.5%—was obtained by determining the blood requirements intraoperatively and 24 hours postoperatively of 105 patients, 45 of whom underwent elective aortic or mitral valve replacement with the remaining 60 undergoing aortocoronary bypass grafting procedures. Of the 51 patients receiving morphine, those who underwent aortic or coronary artery operations needed significantly more blood postoperatively; all required more blood postoperatively than did the 54 patients receiving halothane. Three of the patients who had coronary artery operations and 2 who underwent mitral valve replacement died during or within 24 hours of operation and thus were not included in the final study. We believe, therefore, that, when compared with halothane, morphine produces an increase in total vascular capacitance and that increased intraoperative and postoperative replacement of blood or other colloids is required in order to maintain myocardial filling pressures and outputs.     

Three-year clinical results with the Monostrut Bj?rk-Shiley prosthesis

Between November 1981 and June 1983, 351 patients underwent valve replacement with the Monostrut Bj?rk-Shiley prosthesis. There were 214 aortic valve replacements, 101 mitral valve replacements, and 31 double (aortic and mitral) valve replacements. Four patients had valve implanted in the tricuspid position, and one patient underwent exchange of a valved, extracardiac conduit. Mean age was 61 years (range 2 to 78) and 186 (53%) were male. Concomitant procedures were performed in 52 patients (15%) and 17 (5%) were emergency operations. Early mortality (4.3%) was related to New York Heart Association Functional Class IV, emergency operation, or the presence of a concomitant procedure. Follow-up was 100% and covered 870 patients-years (mean 2.6 years per operative survivor). Postmortem examination was performed in 38 (79%) of the 48 fatalities. Only one patient suffered a sudden, unexplained death. The 3 year survival rate (early mortality excluded) was 88.6% (aortic valve replacement 89.2%, mitral valve replacement 89.3%, and double valve replacement 82.5%). The 3 year freedom from thromboembolism in patients receiving anticoagulants was as follows: aortic valve replacement 97.5%, mitral valve replacement 92.8%, and double valve replacement 100%. There were no instances of valve thrombosis or fatal embolism. In contrast, there were two instances of aortic valve thrombosis among 34 patients having aortic valve replacement without anticoagulation. The 3 year freedom from valve failure (modified Stanford definition) was as follows: aortic valve replacement 96.0%, mitral valve replacement 93.9%, and double valve replacement 89.7%. There were no mechanical failures. In conclusion, the Monostrut Bj?rk-Shiley valve showed a low incidence of complications. There were no mechanical failures, no fatal emboli, and, when anticoagulants were administered, no valve thromboses.