Mitral valve disease: if the mitral valve is not reparable/failed repair, is bioprosthesis suitable for replacement?

OBJECTIVE: The durability of mitral bioprostheses has long been known to be inferior to aortic bioprostheses. Mitral valve reconstruction/repair is currently recommended for most mitral valve procedures. The choice of prostheses for non-reparable or failed mitral valve repairs has not been specified or given appropriate attention within the literature. The objective of this study is to address the role of bioprostheses in the specific subset of non-reparable or failed repair patients by using the knowledge of the general durability of mitral porcine bioprostheses, inclusive of the Carpentier-Edwards mitral porcine bioprosthesis. METHODS: The CE-SAV was implanted in 1135 patients (1175 operations) for mitral valve replacement (MVR) from 1982 to 2000. The mean age was 65.0+/-12.1 years (range 13-86 years). The mean follow-up was 6.4+/-4.5 years, 7555.9 patient-years and 98.3% complete. The evaluation considered freedom from structural valve deterioration (SVD) and freedom from composites of complications, as well as risk assessment. RESULTS: For the 51-60 year age group, the actual and actuarial freedom from SVD was, at 18 years, 56.0+/-4.1% and 14.7+/-5.8%; for the 61-70 year age group was, at 18 years, 69.6+/-2.6% and 26.5+/-5.9%, respectively. For the >70 group, at 15 years was 92.2+/-2.0% and 69.0+/-9.7%, respectively. There were a total of 256 SVD events with 31 fatalities and 226 reoperations with 10 fatalities (4.42%). The predictors of SVD were age (hazard ratio [HR] 0.98, p=0.0002), concomitant CAB (HR 0.66, p=0.020) and valve size (HR 1.08, p=0.034). The overall actual freedom, at 15-18 years, for >70 age group was, for valve-related reoperation, 94.3+/-1.5%; and for valve-related mortality was 87.8+/-2.3%. CONCLUSIONS: The CE-SAV mitral porcine bioprosthesis cannot be recommended as representative of prosthesis-type of choice for non-reparable or failed repair of native mitral valves for ages 70 years of age. The clinical performance of the CE-SAV is similar to other mitral bioprostheses.

Traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta: third decade of experience.

BACKGROUND: Traumatic rupture of the thoracic aorta is a relatively common injury of deceleration accidents, usually high-speed motor vehicle accidents. Spinal cord injury has been a well-documented complication of surgical management. The use of nonheparinized partial bypass with a centrifugal pump was evaluated for protection against spinal cord injury and reduction of risk of associated injuries. METHODS: From 1989 to 1999, the third decade of the authors' experience, traumatic rupture was diagnosed in 58 patients (male 46 and female 12; mean age 39.9 years, range 17 to 85). Associated injuries were documented in 98.3% (57 patients). In all, 45 patients (77.6%) had the opportunity for definitive surgical management; 42 (93.3%) were managed with partial cardiopulmonary bypass, 35 without the use of heparin. Full cardiopulmonary bypass was utilized in 1 patient while 2 had repair without cardiopulmonary bypass support. Thirteen patients did not have the opportunity for definitive surgical management, 1 death on arrival, 8 (61.5%) suspected, and 4 (30.8%) diagnosed. RESULTS: There were 6 deaths in the surgical group, 5 in nonheparinized patients. The causes were intraoperative hypovolemia (2), anoxic brain death after intraoperative cardiac arrest (1), sepsis (1), and adult respiratory distress syndrome (1). The other was in the simple aortic cross-clamp group from intraoperative pulmonary compromise. There was one spinal cord injury, paraparesis in 1 of the 2 patients managed without bypass support. The total hospital stay ranged from 8 to 112 days, primarily owing to management of associated injuries. Of the 13 patients who did not have the opportunity for definitive surgical management, 5 had unsuccessful emergency thoracotomy and 3 survived the hospital course without surgery. Of the total population, the overall mortality was 27.6%, whereas the mortality of the potentially operable patients was 25.8%. Of the surgical group, the intraoperative mortality was 6.7% and 30-day mortality was 13.3%. CONCLUSIONS: Spinal cord injury was prevented by the use of partial cardiopulmonary bypass. Nonheparinized bypass was likely to be a contributory factor to lack of mortality directly related to associated injuries.