Combined multiple-valve procedures. Factors influencing the early and late results

The early and late results were retrospectively evaluated in 57 cases of double or triple valve replacement or repair performed in 1970-1983. The causes of the valvular lesions were rheumatic fever (43 cases), bacterial endocarditis (6), syphilis (1) and unknown (7 cases). The preoperative NYHA classification was III in 29 patients and IV in 28, due mainly to dyspnea of effort. Cardiomegaly (mean radiologic volume 880 cm3/m2) and atrial fibrillation were the dominant clinical findings. Surgery was on emergency indications in five cases. Cold cardioplegia combined with external cardiac cooling has been used for myocardial protection since 1977. The valve replacements were 56 aortic, 50 mitral and 2 tricuspid. In addition there were three closed and two open mitral commissurotomies, two mitral plastic repairs, three tricuspid valve anuloplasties (DeVega) and one aortic anuloplasty. Follow-up (0.3-13, mean 3.5 years) was supplemented with a check-up including two-dimensional echophonocardiography and hematologic tests. The operative mortality (10/57 patients) fell from 26% in 1970-1976 to 12% in 1977-1983. The causes of death were low cardiac output in preoperatively ill patients (5), myocardial infarction (2), technical failure (2) and sepsis (1 case). There were 11 late deaths (6.7/100 patient-years of observation), the commonest cause (5 patients) being congestive heart failure. The respective incidences of thromboembolism, paravalvular leak and postoperative endocarditis were 2.1, 4.2 and 2.1 episodes/100 patient-years.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)