Aortic valve replacement in patients with poor ventricular function-early and late results with long-term follow-up

A series of 62 consecutive patients with an ejection fraction of 0.4 or less (mean 0.28 with a range from 0.10 to 0.40; 22 between 0.10 and 0.20, 18 between 0.21 and 0.30, and 22 between 0.31 and 0.40) who underwent aortic valve replacement from January 18, 1972 to December 20, 1976 was reviewed. Preoperatively two patients were in Class II, 35 in Class III and 25 in Class IV of the New York Heart Association functional classification (N.Y.H.A.). Thirty-nine patients (Group 1) underwent isolated aortic valve replacement and 23 patients (Group 2) underwent aortic valve replacement with associated procedures including aortocoronary bypass in 15. The operative mortality was 8 percent in Group 1, 17 percent in Group 2, and 11 percent overall. In the group of 15 patients with coronary artery disease, the operative mortality of aortic valve replacement and aorto-coronary bypass was 27 percent. Since January 1974, isolated aortic valve replacement was performed with no operative deaths in 25 consecutive patients in Group 1 including 10 patients with an ejection fraction of 0.2 or less. Five-year survival rates were 70 percent in Group 1, 64 percent in Group 2 and 68 percent overall. In the 38 currently living patients, 32 showed clinical improvement and 27 are in Class I or II of N.Y.H.A. In conclusion, isolated aortic valve replacement can be performed with a low mortality and a high survival rate in patients with impaired left ventricular function.