Relation of weights of operatively excised stenotic aortic valves to preoperative transvalvular peak systolic pressure gradients and to calculated aortic valve areas.

OBJECTIVES

The purpose of this study was to correlate the weights of operatively excised stenotic aortic valves to preoperative transvalvular peak systolic gradients and to calculated aortic valve areas.

BACKGROUND

No previous publication has correlated the weights of stenotic aortic valves to the transvalvular gradients or to the calculated aortic valve areas.

METHODS

We weighed operatively excised stenotic aortic valves in 324 adults who had undergone preoperative left-sided cardiac catheterization.

RESULTS

As the weights of the operatively excised stenotic aortic valves increased (from <1 g to >6 g), the average transvalvular peak systolic pressure gradients progressively increased. For any valve weight, in general, the women had higher average transvalvular gradients (p </= 0.005) and lower average valve areas (p </= 0.008) than did the men. Correlation between aortic valve weight and transvalvular gradient improved further when gender was taken into account.

CONCLUSIONS

Preoperative transvalvular peak systolic pressure gradients across stenotic aortic valves correlate better with the weights of the operatively excised valves than do the calculated valve areas.