Midterm experience with the Sorin Bicarbon heart valve prosthesis for rheumatic disease

In this study, we present a single center experience with Bicarbon bileaflet valve in 307 patients with rheumatic heart disease.

Between August 1998 and September 2000, 307 patients underwent heart valve replacement using the Bicarbon bileaflet valve (Sorin Biomedica, Saluggia, Italy) with an average age of 47.19+/-13.21 years (range 14 to 80 years), consisting of 147 males and 160 females at Alkan Hospital, Cardiovascular Surgery Department. Aortic valve replacement (AVR) was performed in 77 patients, mitral valve replacement (MVR) in 156 patients and double valve replacement (DVR) in 74 patients.

The early mortality rate was 3.3% (10/307) and there was no late mortality. The actuarial survival rate, including hospital mortality, was 96.74+/-1.01% for the whole group, 96.5+/-1.5% for the MVR group, 97.4+/-1.8% for the AVR group and 97.3+/-1.9% for the DVR group at 35 months. One patient had obstructive valve thrombosis with MVR. The 35 months actuarial freedom from valve thrombosis was 99.58+/-0.4% for the whole group. Four patients were reoperated and the 35 months actuarial freedom from reoperation was 98.53+/-0.7% for the whole group, 98.65+/-0.9% for the MVR group, 96.73+/-02% for the DVR group and 100% for the AVR group. No instances of perivalvular leak, hemolysis, endocarditis or embolism were observed during the entire follow-up period. Mean follow-up duration was 16.5+/-7.9 months (ranged 4 to 35 months).

We have presented our mid-term results with the Sorin Bicarbon bileaflet valve in patients with rheumatic heart disease, which provided good clinical performance combined with meticulous patient care and advanced surgical techniques.