The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 37, 328-336, Copyright © 1984 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Long-term results of cardiac valve replacement with the Delrin-disc model of the Bjork-Shiley valve prosthesis
CG Montero, JJ Rufilanchas, A Juffe, R Burgos, J Ugarte and D Figuera
One hundred two Bjork-Shiley valve prostheses with the Delrin-disc occluder
were implanted in 83 patients between January, 1971, and July, 1972.
Fifty-eight were in the mitral position, 42 in the aortic, and 2 in the
tricuspid. Complete follow-up until 1981 was obtained in 93% of the
patients (mean follow-up, 66.8 months). Hospital mortality was 18% and late
mortality, 19%. Survival according to actuarial methods was 84.8% at 5
years and 78.1% at 9 years after operation. Thromboembolism was detected in
8.8% of patients but caused no deaths. The incidence was 1.2% and 1.5% per
year in those patients treated with Coumadin and antiplatelet agents,
respectively. Reoperation was necessary in 13% of the patients. Most
survivors (72%) are in New York Heart Association Functional Class I,
despite a preoperative status of Class III or IV in 57% of the patients.
Hospital mortality may be due to poorer understanding of patient management
and less refined techniques of myocardial protection. Long-term survival
with this prosthesis is similar to that in more recent studies, and rates
of thromboembolism and malfunction compare favorably with other prosthetic
valves.
