Clinical Experience with a Porcine Aortic Valve Xenograft for Mitral Valve Replacement

Between March, 1971, and July, 1973, 103 patients underwent mitral valve replacement with a glutaraldehyde-preserved porcine aortic valve mounted on a flexible polypropylene, Dacron-covered stent. Overall operative survival was 95.1%. Actuarial analysis of late postoperative results indicates 92% survival through 2 years, with functional improvement in nearly all patients. The rate of systemic thromboembolism has been approximately 1.7% per patient-year without anticoagulants. No valve failure has occurred. We conclude that this xenograft prosthesis provides a technically and functionally satisfactory valve substitute, the durability of which appears to significantly exceed that of previously available tissue valves for mitral replacement.