[Chronic respiratory insufficiency. Incidence in the results of surgical valvular replacement]

Out of 400 files of patients who underwent valvar correction between 1968 and 1974 under extra corporeal circulation by the thoracic route through median sternotomy 180 were kept for this study. All these 180 patients had a complete functional spirometric examination before operation, analysed in correlation with their valve disease. 39 of them had severe ventilatory insufficiency. Nevertheless the post-operative period was usually simple, and respiratory insufficiency was responsible for one death only of this series. These data were confirmed by the study of 45 autopsied patients who died after operation. At distance from operation, 80 patients were studied, 25 of whom had severe ventilatory insufficiency. In more than half the cases, and particularly in the mitral ones, the ventilatory deficiency was improved. Thus it is concluded that, respiratory insufficiency is rarely a contra-indication to valve replacement surgery in habitual conditions of the median sternotomy as a thoracic route.