[Complications following heart valve replacement by mechanical and biologic prostheses]

From 1973 to 1985 2394 mechanical valve prostheses (MVP) (follow-up time 110,653 months) and 186 biological valve prostheses (BVP) (follow-up time 5887 months) were implanted. There were only small differences according to the cumulative incidence of prosthetic malfunctions, for reoperations after 10 years: MVP 5.4 +/- 0.4%; BVP 7.7 +/- 0.9%. The total reoperation incidence/100 patient-years was for MVP 1.14, for BVP 2.65. Further complications resulted from anticoagulation therapy (thrombemboli, bleeding), and prosthetic valve endocarditis. The cumulative freedom of any complications after 10 years was 73.1% for Björk-Shiley-AVR, 54.2% for BS-MVR, and only 31.2% for BS AVR + MVR. These results indicate regular controls for all patients postoperatively.