The early risk of re-replacement of aortic valves

One hundred two patients underwent re-replacement of the aortic valve, 95 having a first reoperation, 6 a second, and 1 a third. The early (30-day) mortality among the 81 patients undergoing an elective first reoperation was 3.7% (with 70% confidence limits of 1.63% and 7.32%). Fourteen patients undergoing their first reoperation did so urgently, and 6 (42.9%) died early postoperatively. Technical problems during reoperation were uncommon. Fifteen of the 102 patients underwent reoperation because of infection in or around the device; 2 (13.3%) died early postoperatively, and at least 3 more died within nine months of operation. These data, with their 70% confidence limits, are useful in arriving at a decision for or against reoperation in individual patients.