Clinical and hemodynamic results following triple valve replacement: mechanical vs porcine xenograft prostheses.

This study summarizes the results in 26 patients of triple valve replacement (TVR) performed between 1967-1975. The first ten patients (group I) received all-mechanical valves, but the last 16 (group II) received porcine xenograft atrioventricular and porcine or mechanical aortic valves. Preoperatively, all patients were functional class II or IV with pulmonary arterial and venous hypertension. Early mortality was 30% group I and 18.8% group II; late mortality has been 30% group I and 6.3% group II. Total operative and bypass time, and duration of postoperative respiratory support was less (P less than 0.025) in group II than in group I. Postoperative catheterization performed in 16 of 26 patients demonstrated significant reduction (P less than 0.05) in pulmonary arterial and venous hypertension, and aortic and mitral gradients in group II. There have been no late complications or valve malfunctions in group II. An improvement of at least two functional classes was seen in 4/6 group I and 12/13 group II operative survivors. The results of TVR with porcine xenografts compare favorably with those of all-mechanical replacements and deserve further evaluation.