The necessity of reoperation for patients with Bjork-Shiley, St Jude Medical, Hancock and Carpentier-Edwards prostheses.

The purpose of this study was to determine the criteria of valve selection from the long-term results of Hancock, Carpentier-Edwards, St Jude Medical and Bjork-Shiley prostheses, taking into special account the frequency of reoperation. Reoperations on the Hancock bioprosthesis were performed on six patients for tissue leaflet disruption with an incidence of 2.2 per cent/patient-year. Reoperations on the Carpentier-Edwards bioprosthesis were performed on 24 patients for tissue leaflet disruption in 23 patients and prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) in one, with an incidence of 3.8 per cent/patient-year. Reoperations on the Bjork-Shiley prosthesis were performed in two patients for severe hemolysis, with an incidence of 0.32 per cent/patient-year. Reoperations on the St Jude Medical prosthesis were performed on 3 patients, for valve thrombosis in one patient, PVE in one, and hemolysis in one, with an incidence of 0.23 per cent/patient-year. The overall mortality rate was 20 per cent, or 7 patients, and the indications for reoperation affected this. Patients with primary tissue failure had a mortality rate of 10.3 per cent; those with a thrombosed valve, 0 per cent; those with hemolysis, 66.7 per cent; and those with valve infection, 100 per cent. A good chance of survival may be achieved in patients facing prosthetic valve complications by performing reoperation as soon as possible after early detection, since mortality is high following emergency reoperation and in patients with severe symptoms. Currently, we recommend mechanical prostheses for valve replacement except in patients over 70 years old and in younger patients with absolute contraindications to anticoagulative therapy.