Bacground: We have previously reported mid-term results of a study, which ended in January 2000, on the Bicarbon valve. The study concluded that the valve showed excellent clinical results, associated with a low incidence of valve-related complications. In the present study, the same patients were prospectively followed for an additional 5 years.Methods: Forty-four patients had aortic valve replacement (AVR), 48 had mitral valve replacement (MVR), and 13 had both aortic and mitral valve replacement (DVR). The mean age of the 105 patients was 61.2 ± 11.3 years. The mean follow-up was 6.1 ± 1.9 years with a cumulative followup of 616 patient-years.Results: There were 5 early deaths (4.7%: 4 in the AVR group and 1 in the MVR group) and 21 late deaths (3.4%/patient-year: 5 valve related deaths and 16 valve unrelated deaths). Survival at 8 years was 75.2 ± 7.0% in the AVR group, 76.6 ± 6.2% in the MVR group, and 55.4 ± 16.1% in the DVR group. The linearized incidence of thrombo-embolic complications, hemorrhagic complications, and paravalvular leaks in all patients was 0.65 ± 1.48%, 0.81 ± 1.69%, and 0.16 ± 0.54%/patient-year respectively. No other complications were observed. Conclusion:The Bicarbon prosthetic heart valve has shown excellent long-term clinical results, associated with a low incidence of valve-related complications.

A 75-year-old woman, who had been treated for rheumatic arthritis, was transferred to our hospital because of acute abdomen and continuous fever for several weeks. She had peritonitis, and abdominal computed tomography detected a thrombus occluding the proximal superior mesenteric artery and infarctions of the kidneys and spleen. Echocardiography showed a large vegetation on the anterior leaflet of the mitral valve. The necrotic small bowel and ascending colon were resected, and mitral valve replacement was performed 5 days later. She suffered from hyperbilirubinemia and pneumonia for several weeks after the operation but recovered successfully thereafter.

No abstract

We present a patient with a nine-year history of Behçet's disease (BD), who developed a rapidly expanding aneurysm of the aortic arch. Three-dimensional computed tomography demonstrated a saccular aortic arch aneurysm with a maximal diameter of 5 cm. No bacteria were detected by serial blood cultures. The aneurysm, however, showed a multi-lobular cavity, mimicking an infectious aneurysm. Therefore, we prescribed antibacterial agents for one week. The patient still had a high-fever and an elevated C-reactive protein level thereafter. Aortic arch replacement was performed emergently. Because we were unable to determine whether the aneurysm was caused by infection or BD, the implanted prosthetic graft and the anastomotic sites were covered with a pedicle graft of the greater omentum, and we continued to administer antibacterial agents for four weeks postoperatively. The pathological examination showed neither bacteria nor cystic medial necrosis in the resected aortic wall. Inflammatory changes with eosinophilic infiltration were recognized mainly around the adventitia near the aneurysm. The patient had a favorable postoperative course without any complications.

This study was designed to evaluate the long-term clinical results of the Omniscience tilting disc valve. Omniscience valves were implanted in 51 patients (mean age, 50 +/- 10 years); 18 had aortic valve, 24 had mitral valve, and 9 had both aortic and mitral valve replacements. Oral warfarin potassium and dipyridamole were prescribed as our anticoagulant therapy. Preoperatively, 42 patients were in New York Heart Association class III or IV, and 23 of 25 surviving patients were in class I or II after operation. There were 2 (3.9%) early deaths and 23 late deaths (3.5 +/- 0.7% per patient-year). Cardiac related mortality including congestive heart failure, sudden death, and thromboembolism, and hemorrhagic complications were seen in 16 patients. Overall survival at 10, 15, and 20 years was 77 +/- 6%, 62 +/- 7%, and 46 +/- 7%, respectively. Thromboembolic complications were seen in 5 patients, for a rate of 0.8 +/- 0.3% per patient-year; similarly, hemorrhagic complications were also seen in 5 patients. Nonstructural prosthetic valve dysfunction was seen in 4 patients, for a rate of 0.6 +/- 0.3% per patient-year, and sudden death was seen in 2, a rate of 0.3 +/- 0.2% per patient-year. The Omniscience prosthesis demonstrated excellent postoperative clinical status with low rates of valve related complications.