Between January 1980 and December 1993, 291 patients underwent valve replacement with mechanical valves in the Heart Institute of HCFMUSP. One hundred and eighty seven (64.3%) patients were male, aged between 2 months and 78 years (average 38.3 +/-18.5). The ethiology was rheumatic in 132 patients (45.4%). Were inserted 315 mechanical valves, 201 aortic, 77 mitral, 15 double aortic-mitral, 2 tricuspid, 1 double mitral-tricuspid, and 1 triple mitral-aortic-tricuspid. There were associated procedures in 164 patients (56.4%), the most frequent was replacement of ascending aorta in 49 (16.8%). One hundred and forty one patients (48.4%) underwent previous heart valve surgery. Follow-up data are reported concerning functional status (NYHA) and valve related complications. Early mortality rate was 12.4% (36 patients). Followup totaled 10078 months/patient (159 patients), with a mean follow-up period of 40.6 months. The linearized rates of thromboembolism, hemorrhage related to antithrombotic therapy, late death, endocarditis, paravalvular leak and hemolysis were 1.33%, 0.95%, 1.9%, 0.19%, 0.57% and 0.57% patients/year, respectively. Fourteen year survival rate was 63.8%. Eighty two percent of the patients were in functional class I in the postoperative period. It was possible to conclude that the patients submitted to mechanical valve replacement had a satisfactory clinical evolution.
Heart valves prostheses; Heart valves prostheses; Heart valves