Surgical Challenge of Aortic Valve Disease

Abstract

The technic of prosthetic replacement of the aortic valve has developed rapidly. Long-term follow-up of 51 hospital survivors of valvuloplasty is presented, showing worthwhile results at three years following operation and, in a very few cases, at four, five or more years. A recent 15 months' experience with 84 valve replacements and 22 valvuloplasties shows an 18 per cent hospital mortality in each group. Results of valve replacement are immeasurably superior to those achieved with incision and debridement in patients with significant aortic regurgitation or heavily calcified valves.