[Determinants of long-term prognosis following prosthetic mitral valve replacement]

Data of 235 patients with chronic mitral valve disease (NYHA class III or IV) were analyzed retrospectively. Mitral valve replacement was performed in all patients between 1974 and 1983, 46 patients underwent additional tricuspid valve repair during the same operation. Preoperatively, right and left heart catheterization as well as coronary angiography were carried out in all patients. Operative mortality was 8%. For all patients 5 year survival rate was 76% and 10 year survival rate was 72%. Patients with pure mitral insufficiency had a poorer long-term prognosis than patients with mitral stenosis or patients with mixed mitral valve disease (5 year survival rate 54 versus 79%, p less than 0.0014). Patients with previous closed mitral commissurotomy had a poorer long-term prognosis than patients without previous surgery (5 year survival rate 62 versus 81%, p less than 0.0019). Age, NYHA class, associated tricuspid valve repair, pulmonary vascular resistance and mean right atrial pressure had no effect on survival.

Long-term survival is generally good after mitral valve replacement, but pure mitral insufficiency and previous closed mitral commissurotomy are risk factors for long-term prognosis.