The Annals of Thoracic Surgery, Vol 38, 579-585, Copyright © 1984 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons
Late outcome of patients with Braunwald-Cutter mitral valve replacement
SA Abdulali, NP Silverton, FJ Schoen, NR Saunders and MI Ionescu
Eighty patients who underwent mitral valve replacement (MVR) with
Braunwald-Cutter prostheses (54, single valve replacement; 26, multiple
valve replacement) between December, 1972, and September, 1975, are
discussed. The period of follow-up ranged from 72 to 120 months with a mean
of 84.6 months. For the hospital survivors, actuarial survival at ten years
was 73 +/- 6.7% for patients with MVR alone and 30 +/- 17.5% for those with
multiple valve replacement. The linearized rate of embolic complications in
patients with MVR was 3.2% per year and in patients with multiple valve
replacement, 1.5% per year. These low rates of embolism allow a favorable
comparison of the Braunwald-Cutter valve with other mechanical prostheses.
There was no evidence of serious poppet wear or poppet escape after ten
years of the valve in the mitral and tricuspid positions. Thus, elective
replacement of the Braunwald-Cutter valve from the atrioventricular
position because of this potential problem is not considered necessary. In
the aortic position, escape of the poppet from the valve has occurred as
late as 101 months. The overall morbidity for the group was high. Only 34%
of the patients having MVR and 12% of those with multiple valve replacement
are expected to be alive and to remain free from any major complication ten
years after operation.
