Pulmonary hypertension in mitral valve surgery.

The operative and long-term results of 72 patients with moderate to severe pulmonary hypertension, operated upon from 1970 to 1972 for isolated mitral valve replacement with Hancock prosthesis were analyzed. A correlation exists between pulmonary hypertension and high mortality risk as well as good hemodynamic recovery of the survivors in the late follow-up, often unrelated with other function tests (pulmonary ventilation and perfusion).