[Use of biological prostheses for cardiac valve replacement in children and adolescents].

Between January 1976 and June 1980 a consecutive series of 13 patients aging from 9 to 18 years underwent cardiac valve replacement, out of 590 valve replacement operations. All had rheumatic heart disease and many had severe cardiac symptoms; all underwent cardiac catheterization and angiography before operation. Ten single valve replacements, 7 in the aortic, and 3 in the mitral position, and 3 double valve replacements were performed. All patients survived operation, except the one who died 2 months later for congestive heart failure. The others have been followed from 1 to 47 months, averaging 20,5 months. All are free of cardiac symptoms and are being treated with antirheumatic drugs. They are not anticoagulated after 6 months. The operative mortality is low in our bioprosthetic valve replacement, and we think that these operations are safely feasible.