Clinical Results of Mitral Valve Replacement with St. Jude Medical Valve / 대한흉부외과학회지

ABSTRACT

A total of 172 cases of MVR using the St. Jude Medical valve was conducted in the period from August 1986 to May 1996. The hospital mortality rate was 3.5% (n=6) and the late mortality rate was 3.3% (n=5). According to the follow-up of 161 surviving patients, the average length of survival was 50.23+/-0.27 months. Three cases of prosthetic valve related complication deaths were identified. Two cases could be ascribed to left atrial thrombi and resulting cerebral infarction, and one case was prosthetic valve endocarditis. Two cases were caused by hemorrhagic complications that we presume to have been accompanied by anti-coagulation therapy. The actuarial survival rate of all cases at 10 years was 92.3%. We conclude that good clinical results and a low complication rate could be achieved through mitral valve replacement with the St. Jude Medical valve. We also conclude that mid-term and long-term follow-ups were instrumental and necessary.