OBJECTIVE: Probably the major drawback to a stentless porcine xenograft is the complexity of the technical demands required for inserting a competent aortic valve (usually two suture rows). MATERIAL AND METHODS: Fifteen patients underwent aortic valve replacement with the Labcor stentless porcine heterograft using a simplified technique for implantation - single interrupted suture row on the aortic anulus and commissure attachment to the aortic wall. Twelve patients were male and 3 female, with ages ranging from 9 to 56 years. The aortic valve lesion was stenosis in 8 (53.3%) cases, mixed lesion in 4 (26.7%) and insufficiency in 3 (20%). Ten (66.7%) patients were in functional class III (NYHA) and 5 (33.3%) were in class IV. RESULTS: There was no hospital death or valve related morbidity. The ColorDoppler echocardiography revealed mild central aortic regurgitation in 2 (13.3%) cases before discharge. One patient died 14 months after operation due to bacterial endocarditis and septic shock . The actuarial survival was 93.3% at a mean follow-up of 23.5 months, ranging from 17 to 29 months. Twelve (85.7%) patients are in functional class I and 2 (14.3%) patients in functional class II, without any report of tromboembolic events, paravalvular leakage or hemolysis in the observed period. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that this simplified technique for stentless aortic bioprosthesis implantation is easy to execute, reproducible and with low incidence of morbidity-mortality.
Bioprosthesis; Blood vessel prosthesis implantation; Aortic valve stenosis
