Abstract
From July, 1978, to December, 1986, the St. Jude Medical valve prostheses were implanted in 814 adult patients. {Aortic valve replacement (AVR): 244, mitral valve replacement (MVR): 428, aortic and mitral valve replacement (DVR): 142}. Operative mortality was 4.5% in AVR, 3.5% in MVR and 6.3% in DVR. The actuarial survival rate at nine years was 81.7% in AVR and 90.9% in MVR. At eight years, it was 91.5% in DVR. The number of valve-related complications was as follows: structural failure (0), thrombosis (AVR 1, MVR 1), thromboembolism (AVR 10, 1.35%/pt-yr), MVR (22, 1.60%/pt-yr), DVR (4, 1.42%/pt-yr), anticoagulant-related hemorrhage (MVR 1), prosthetic valve endocarditis (AVR 2, MVR 1), hemolysis (MVR 4, DVR 1). Reoperation was performed in 8 patients with MVR and 1 patient with DVR. Judging from our nine years of experience, we have concluded that the St. Jude Medical valve is one of the prostheses of our choice.
