The clinical results of an aortic heterograft model (Biocor) was evaluated in a series of 150 patients, operated upon from 1982 to 1988 and followed-up for until 7 years post-operatively. Sixty-two were female and 88 male. Age ranged from 15 to 81 (m = 51.6) years. There were 9 in functional class II, 120 in III and 21 in IV. In the isolated mitral position there were 46 implants, aortic isolated 50, multiple 30 and 24 associated with myocardial revascularization (5 mitral and 19 aortic). Hospital mortality was 12% (18 cases). Twenty seven patients were lost for late follow-up. Late mortality was 2.6% (4 cases), caused by rena! failure, meningoencefalitis, congestive heart failure and pulmonary embolism. There were 5 (3.3%), due to infectious endocarditis, paravalvular leaks, primary tissue failure (2 cases at ages 15 and 25). Three others patients presented clinical signs of mild regurgitation and were not reoperated. The actuarial survival curves showed a probability of survival and probability of no surgical events, respectively, for the whole group: 82.9 ± 3.7 years and 70.1 ± 6.7 years, for the aortic group: 88.0 ± 5.6% and 60.4 ± 17.4%, for the mitral group: 87.3 ± 5.6% and 70.9 ± 11.1%. At the last clinical evaluation, there were 82 patients in functional class I, 17 in II and 2 in III. Bioprosthesis attributed failures occurred in 21.4% of the patients operated upon, younger than 30 years, 1.1% between 31 and 60 years, and 2% in the older than 61 years. Male sex was related to 4.5% of failures and female, 1.6%. There was no difference between the mitral, aortic, or multiple groups. The bioprosthesis evaluated, for a follow-up of 7 years, presented good results. Causes of failure were usually related to age, infection or leaking, at a low incidence in the study period. Longer observation, however, is still advisable for definitive conclusions.
heart valves; heart valves prostheses