Between 1986 and 1990, 304 females between 11 and 45 (mean, 33.9 ± 6.9) years of age underwent isolated mitral valve replacement with a bioprosthesis. Thirty-nine of the 285 survivors experienced 48 pregnancies during the late follow-up period (group 1). Structural valve deterioration occurred in 25 (64.1%) of these patients and in 70 (28.4%) of the 246 patients (group 2) who did not become pregnant (p < 0.01). The mean time at which structural valve deterioration occurred was 7.01 ± 1.19 years postoperatively (range, 4.74 to 8.36 years) for group 1 patients and 6.76 ± 1.34 years (range, 2.33 to 10.17 years) for group 2 patients (p > 0.05).Freedom from structural valve deterioration at 10 years was 22.9% ± 8.11% for group 1 and 29.24% ± 6.09% for group 2 (p > 0.05). We concluded that pregnancy did not influence the long-term outcome after mitral valve replacement with a bioprosthesis.

Between 1968 and 1995, a total of 153 patients who were between 35 and 63 years of age (mean 49.8 years), underwent surgery for secundum type atrial septal defect. There were 78 (50.9%) males and 75 females (49.1 %). Mean left-to-right shunt ratio was calculated as 2.49. Mean pulmonary artery pressure was 50.15 mm Hg. Three patients died within 30 days of surgery, giving a hospital mortality of 1.96%. Long-term follow-up was available in 135 cases (90%). Total follow-up was 967.3 patient-years and ranged from 3 months to 11.3 years (mean 7.16 years). There were no late deaths reported. Four patients were readmitted with atrial fibrillation and 2 with pericardial effusion. In our experience, surgical closure of atrial septal defect in adults was found to be successful, safe, and with low morbidity in patients with pulmonary hypertension and congestive heart failure.

Hydatid cysts are caused by the larva of Echinococcus which is usually seen in the lungs and liver. It is uncommon in the heart and rarely seen in the interventricular septum. Cardiac hydatid cysts are often asymptomatic; however, they sometimes may cause impaired cardiac conduction system and syncope. Herein, we report a 20-year-old female case with a cardiac hydatid cyst nested in the interventricular septum causing complete atrioventricular block.