Clinical and necropsy observations early after simultaneous replacement of the mitral and aortic valves

Clinical and necropsy findings are described in 54 patients, aged 25 to 83 years (mean 53), who died within 60 days of simultaneous replacements of both mitral and aortic valves. The patients were separated into 4 groups on the basis of the presence of stenosis (with or without associated regurgitation) or pure regurgitation of each valve: 30 patients (56%) had combined mitral and aortic valve stenosis; 12 patients (22%) had mitral stenosis and pure aortic regurgitation; 8 patients (15%) had pure regurgitation of both valves; and 4 patients (7%) had pure aortic regurgitation and mitral stenosis. Necropsy examination in the 54 patients disclosed a high frequency (48%) of anatomic evidence of interference to poppet or disc movement in either the mitral or aortic valve position or both. Anatomic evidence of interference to movement of a poppet or disc in the aortic valve position was twice as common as anatomic evidence of interference to poppet or disc movement in the mitral position. Interference to poppet movement is attributable to the prosthesis's being too large for the ascending aorta or left ventricular cavity in which it resided. The ascending aorta is infrequently enlarged in patients with combined mitral and aortic valve dysfunction irrespective of whether the aortic valve is stenotic or purely regurgitant. Likewise, the left ventricular cavity is usually not dilated in patients with combined mitral and aortic valve stenosis, the most common indication for replacement of both left-sided cardiac valves. Of the 54 patients, 12 (22%) had 1 mechanical and 1 bioprosthesis inserted. It is recommended that both substitute valves should be mechanical prostheses or both should be bioprostheses.