Is mechanical valve implantation the best solution for patients with aortic valve disease?

Overview

Aortic valve replacement using a mechanical valve is a conventional procedure for patients under 65 years of age but requires lifetime anticoagulation. The authors‘ question is whether this choice is appropriate and safe enough.

Methods:
Consecutive patients who had mechanical aortic valve replacement and were operated on between 2000 and 2003 in Departure of cardiac surgery at Hospital Ceske Budejovice, were followed up for one year.

Results:
Thirty day mortality was 2.9 %. Follow-up was completed on 98% patients. Late mortality was 4%. There were neither tromboembolic events nor bleeding during one year follow-up, but we noted two strokes of unclear origin and one case of prosthetic endocarditis. The symptomatology NYHA decreased from 2.36±0.91 to 1.13±0.45.

Conclusion:
Aortic valve replacement using mechanical valve is safe and related complications are acceptable.

Key words:
mechanical valve, aortic valve.