Aortic valve replacement with frozen irradiated homografts. An 18-year experience.

Between May 1968 and April 1981, 339 patients underwent isolated aortic valve replacement using frozen irradiated homografts. All the operations were carried out by the same surgeon (EJMW) using the same technique. Thirty-two patients were lost to follow-up at various stages and the long-term results of the remaining 307 patients are reported. Two hundred and thirty-four were males and 73 females. Their ages ranged between 10 and 75 years, with a mean age of 53. The dominant lesion was aortic stenosis in 195 cases (63.5%), aortic regurgitation in 68 (22.1%), and mixed aortic valve disease in 44 (14.3%). Early mortality was 8.8% and late mortality during the 5-18 year follow-up period was 49.6%. Re-operations for homograft failure were carried out in 112 patients (40%), with an early mortality of 25%. The results are compared with those of other major series using antibiotic sterilized homograft valves.