Key Points
- To identify the clinical causes of death and postmortem pathological findings in patients who died after receiving a Björk-Shiley tilting disc valve in the aortic position.
- Evaluated clinical records and classical postmortem pathology in 20 deceased patients from a consecutive series of 161 aortic valve replacements using the Björk-Shiley tilting disc valve.
- Assessed cardiac specimens for myocardial damage, chamber enlargement, coronary ostial changes, and mechanical valve wear or thrombosis.
- Hospital mortality was 5% (8/161 patients) and late mortality was 7% (12/161 patients), with myocardial failure serving as the primary cause of death in 9 of the 20 deceased patients.
- Gross cardiomegaly was present in 100% of examined hearts (20/20), while prosthetic wear, structural failure, and coronary ostial intimal changes were absent.
- Thromboembolism caused 1 death in an individual not receiving anticoagulants, whereas zero thromboembolic complications occurred in long-term survivors maintained on anticoagulation therapy.
Structured PICO
PPopulation161 patients undergoing aortic valve replacement, with detailed pathological evaluation of the 20 patients who died
IInterventionAortic valve replacement with the Björk-Shiley tilting disc valve
OOutcomeCause of death and main pathology (hospital and late mortality)hard clinical
Aortic valve replacement with the Björk-Shiley tilting disc valve demonstrated a 12% overall mortality predominantly due to myocardial failure, with excellent valve durability and no thromboembolic events when patients were maintained on anticoagulation.