The purpose of this study is to analyze long-term results with valve replacement in the elderly with bovine pericardial bioprostheses developed by the Heart Institute of São Paulo. Between March 1982 and December 1995, 463 FISICS-INCOR bovine pericardial bioprostheses were implanted in 432 patients over 65. The average age was 70.3 ± 4.3 years, and 58.1% were male. We performed a total of 286 aortic valve replacements, 144 mitral replacements, 16 double replacements (mitral and aortic) and 1 tricuspid replacement. There were associated procedures in 158 patients (36.6%) and the most frequent was myocardial revascularization (19.2%). Hospital mortality was 12.2% (53 patients), 18.7% for the mitral group, 7.7% for the aortic, and 18.8% for the double valve replacement. The linearized rates for calcification, thromboembolism, rupture, leak and endocarditis were 0.4, 0, 0.8, 0.1 and 0.1% patient-year. The actuarial survival curve for the aortic group was 32.4 ± 15.5% in 12 years, freedom from endocarditis was 100%, freedom from calcification was 98.3 ± 1.7%, freedom from rupture was 91.6 ± 4.8%, freedom from leak was 99.5 ± 0.5% and freedom from reoperation was 89.6 ± 4.9% in 12 years. The actuarial survival curve for the mitral group was 14.5 ± 11.5% in 12 years, freedom from endocarditis was 97.8 ± 2.2%, freedom from calcification was 98.0 ± 2.0%, freedom from rupture was 91.7 ± 5.0%, freedom from leak was 100% and freedom from reoperation was 87.9 ± 5.5% in 12 years. There was no thromboembolism. In the late post-operative period, 293 patients (87.7%) were in functional class I (NYHA). We conclude that late results with FISICS-INCOR bovine pericardial bioprostheses were satisfactory in the elderly group of patients.
Bioprosthesis; Heart valve prosthesis
