An analysis of autopsy findings in 108 patients who died after valve replacement

The pathological findings and the causes of death were reviewed in 108 patients who had received 142 heart valve prostheses (52 mechanical and 90 bioprostheses) at the National Cardiovascular Center in Osaka, Japan, from 1977 to 1991. Rheumatic heart disease was the major underlying disease (60.2%), and the age distribution at death ranged from 21 to 80-year-old. Survival duration after the surgery extended from 0 day to 9 years. Thirty-three patients (30.6%) died of perioperative complications such as myocardial haemorrhage and damage, or from heart failure which had been evident prior to the operation, a cause of death which pre-dominated in patients who died within 1 week of surgery (15/17; 88.2%). Thirty-eight patients (35.2%) died of prostheses-related problems such as prosthetic valve failure (cuspal tears and calcifying destruction of the xenograft), thromboembolism, and prosthetic valve endocarditis. Endocarditis was frequent in patients who had survived longer than 1 year (25/33; 75.8%). None of the patients died of prostheses-related problems within 1 week. Non-infectious valve failure was more common in patients with bioprostheses than in those with mechanical valves; thromboembolism showed the opposite association. Prosthetic valve infective endocarditis was nearly equal in frequency in both types of valve.