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A survey is presented on the results of 100 consecutive patients who underwent mitral valve (78 patients) or mitral and aortic and/or tricuspid valve replacement (22 patients) with ball or disc valve prosthesis. The patients were followed-up from 6 to 54 months postoperatively. The mortality for mitral valve replacement was 13 (17%) early deaths (up to one month from operation) and 5 (6%) late deaths. The corresponding figures for multiple valve replacements were 9 (41%) and 3 (14%). A direct correlation was found between early mortality and preoperative functional class IV of the New York Heart Association (30% dead). Pulmonary hypertension combined with multiple valve disease resulted in an early mortality of 42%. No significant differences in early mortality figures after MVR were found between ball and disc valve prostheses. Predominant complications were respiratory infection and atelectasis (13%), acute myocardial infarction (11%) and haemorrhage (9%). Haemolysis was found in 9 patients and three other patients had haemolytic anaemia attributable to paravalvular leak which in two indicated the reapplication of the prosthesis. The main causes of death were heart failure, 8 early and 4 late deaths, and myocardial infarction, 5 and 4 respectively.

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