ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The aims of this paper were to review the mid term clinical results and to analyze the preoperative risk factors of isolated aortic valve replacement (AVR). MATERIAL AND METHOD: Between January 1992 and February 2003, 80 patients underwent isolated AVR. 58 were male and 22 were female patients, raging from 12 to 75 years of age (mean: 46.8+/-13.0 years). 74 patients except one early death and 5 follow-up loss were contacted by OPD or by telephone. The mean duration of follow-up was 44.2+/-29.7 months and the total cumulative period was 272.8 patient-year. RESULT: The complications in hospital occurred in 35 cases : 12 wound problems (11 superficial, 1 deep), 11 arrhythmias (9 temporary, 2 persistent), 3 low cardiac output, and so forth. The late deaths were 4 cases : the heart-related deaths were 2 cases (0.7%patient-year). CONCLUSION: The risk factors that influenced the early mortality and morbidity were older age (> 60 years)(p=0.04), poor preoperative NYHA functional class (> 3) (p=0.048), high preoperative serum creatinin level (> 1.2 mg/100 ml)(p=0.031), long operation time (aortic clamping time> 90 min)(p=0.042). The same factors influenced the late mortality and morbidity. Freedom from valve-related complication was 86.4+/-5.3%, actuarial survival rate were 96.8+/-2.3% at 3 years and 90.8+/-4.6% at 10 years.