[Long-term results of conventional aortic valve replacement for small aortic annulus]

We studied cardiac function, clinical outcome and quality of life (QOL) long after aortic valve replacement for pure aortic stenosis. Forty-four patients in small group [St. Jude Medical (SJM) 17 HP, 19 A], and 69 patients in non-small group (19 HP, 21 A, 23 A) operated on from 1984 to 2004 were enrolled in this study. We assessed the clinical data, aortic pressure gradient, left ventricular mass index (LVMI), and ejection fraction (EF) by preoperative and postoperative echocardiography. Moreover to evaluate QOL after the operation, we performed SF-36 used for the evaluation of health and QOL worldwide. Mean follow-up is 7.1 +/- 4.8 years in small group, and 6.8 +/- 4.6 years in non-small group. There were 2 hospital deaths in small group, and 1 in non-small group. The actual survival rate at 10-year were 89.2% in small group, and 85.6% in non-small group. There was no significant difference in hospital mortality, LVMI, long-term survival rate, and the scores of SF-36 between the 2 groups. The use of small sized prosthetic valves in patients with small aortic annulus might be justified when there is no patient-prosthesis mismatch.