[Clinical study on re-surgery of the combined valvular disease: simultaneous double valve replacement]

Between June, 1984 and December, 1993, 36 patients who underwent simultaneous double valve replacement for re-surgery of combined valvular disease were analyzed in this study. The indications for re-surgery were malfunction of mechanical valve in the aortic position, primary tissue failure of biological valve in the mitral position, deterioration of valvular disease and prosthetic valve endocarditis. Re-surgery was performed ranging from 4 to 15 years, with a mean period of 9.5 years, following initial operation. Early operative mortality was 5.5% (2 cases) and late mortality 8.3% (3 cases). There were no cardiac deaths during the late postoperative period. Despite of technical difficulty due to dissection of the adhesion around the heart and re-replacement of prosthetic valve, the operative mortality and morbidity were relatively low because of the improved operative technique and myocardial protection.