The preliminary postoperative results in 16 patients submitted to valvular replacement utilising bovine pericardial valvular bioprostheses, without resection of their natural cusps, are presented. These patients were operated on sequentially from March to September 1989. The incompetent cusps were sutured to the mitral annulus with U stitches placed at their free edges. Pre and postoperative evaluation of the following parameters were obtained: left atrial diameters, left ventricular diameters, ejection fraction and mitral transvalvular gradients (peak and mean). Statistical evaluation utilising the Student's T test was performed. Preoperative mean value of the left ventricular diameter was 67.31 mm, decreasing to 60.50 mm in the postoperative evaluation. Critical value of T was 2.131, the value observed for the left ventricle variation being 3.18. The left atrial diameter varied from 60.25 mm to 49.31 mm (T equal to 6.72). Preoperative ejection fraction mean value was 0.72 and in the postoperative was 0.65 (T = 2.68). Mean transvalvular gradients varied from 23.7 mm (peak) and 12.5 mm (mean) to 9.10 and 5.125 respectively. These residual values are acceptable according to the current literature and the experience of our Institution. There were no complications or deaths in the present series. In no patient gradients in the left ventricular out flow tract suggesting obstruction by the anterior cusp were observed. The authors consider it an efficient technique, easily and rapidly performed, without danger of atrioventricular desinsertions and without significant gradients. Ventricular performance is enhanced and the left atrial and left ventricular diameters decrease considerably.
heart valves prosteses; heart valves prostheses