Long-term clinical and hemodynamic evaluation of the Ionescu-Shiley pericardial xenograft heart valve.

Pericardial xenograft heart valves have been used in 469 patients for single or multiple valve replacement. Early in the series, valves were made in-house, but since May 1976, valves have been made by Shiley Laboratories, Inc. During the eight-year observation period, there were 7% early and 7.9% late deaths. Although no anti-coagulants were used on a long-term basis, there were only eight mild embolic episodes. Preoperatively, 56--98% of all patients were in class III or IV of the NYHA classification; postoperatively, all surviving patients have been found to have improved by at least one classification.