Mitral Valve Replacement With Stented Aortic Homograft

Extensive data are available defining the hemodynamic improvement that occurs when the mitral valve is replaced with a mechanical prosthetic device.¹⁻⁶Evaluation of long-term clinical results with these mechanical prosthetic devices, however, has revealed disturbingly high late morbidity and mortality from fatal or disabling thromboembolic complications.⁷,⁸Because of these problems, interest developed in the use of the aortic valve homograft as a prosthesis for mitral valve replacement. It also was thought that hemodynamics in the immediate postoperative period might be better with a homograft than with a prosthesis if the presence of a cage and ball interfered with left ventricular performance. The present study, therefore, was undertaken to examine the hemodynamic state of ten patients in the immediate postoperative period after replacement of the mitral valve with a stented aortic valve homograft. Material Ten patients were studied before, on the first three days after, and nine days to