Four years experience with dura mater cardiac valves
Puig, L.B.; Verginelli, G.; Kawabe, L.; Melo, R.; Conceição, A.; Bittencourt, D.; Zerbini, E.J.
Journal of Cardiovascular Surgery 18(3): 247-255
1977
ISSN/ISBN: 0021-9509 PMID: 325013 Document Number: 119155
The clinical use of homologous dura mater cardiac valves was begun in January 1971. Between January 1971 and May 1975, 751 patients received 849 dura mater valves: 428 mitral, 365 aortic, 52 tricuspid and 4 pulmonary. The hospital mortality observed in this series was 13.6% and late mortality was 2.5%. The main causes of death were low-output syndrome in the immediate post-operative period or cardiac failure in the late post-operative period, due to myocardial impairment. Paravalvular leaks and errors in the manufacture of the valve were the main causes of regurgitation both in the immediate and late post-operative period. The incidence of thromboembolism, bacterial and fungal endocarditis was: 0.79%, 0.39%, 0.53% respectively. The results obtained with dura mater valve in a period of four years are satisfactory from the clinical and hemodynamic points of view.