[Comparison of the long-term results of intra or extracardiac implanted bioprosthetic valves].

The long-term results following intra or extracardiac implanted bioprosthetic valves were compared. Forty-one patients, whose average age at the operation was 43.3 +/- 10.7 (mean +/- SD) year-old, were implanted 33 Hancock and 11 Carpentier-Edwards porcine valves, 35 in mitral, 6 in aortic and 3 in tricuspid position. Twenty-five children, whose average age was 6.0 +/- 3.5 year-old (p < 0.01) at the operation, underwent right ventricular-pulmonary artery conduit repair with 16 Hancock, 7 Carpentier-Edwards porcine valves and 2 Ionescu-Shiley pericardial valves. There were only one late death and one operative death in the patients implanted intracardiac bioprosthetic valves. Seven intracardiac and 12 extracardiac implanted bioprosthetic valves were removed at the reoperation for prosthetic valve dysfunction. The probabilities free from reoperation after 7 and 9 years of follow-up was 91% and 82%, respectively, with intracardiac implanted valves, on the other hand 51% (p < 0.05) and 8.6% (p < 0.05), respectively, with extracardiac implanted valves. Valve dysfunction in extracardiac implantation was mainly related to the stenosis due to fusion of comissure and/or calcification. Regurgitation due to tear and/or perforation was mainly associated with intracardiac implanted bioprosthetic valves.