Aortic valve replacement with the Hancock porcine xenograft

The Hancock porcine xenograft stabilized with the glutaraldehyde process was used for isolated aortic valve replacement in 71 patients from March, 1972, to July, 1975. Aortic stenosis was the primary diagnosis in 52 patients and aortic insufficiency in 19. There were 52 men and 19 women ranging in age from 18 to 82 years; 14 patients were older than 70 years. One patient was in Functional Class II, 50 in Class III, and 20 in Class IV preoperatively. Seventy-three patients undergoing Björk-Shiley aortic valve replacement during the same period are presented for comparison. The operative mortality was 3% (2 of the 71 patients); 4 of the remaining 69 patients (6%) died in the late postoperative period. No patient was placed on anticoagulation during the postoperative course, and there was 1 postoperative embolus in a patient with chronic atrial fibrillation (1.4%). With a mean follow-up period of 17 months, 60 patients are now in Functional Class I, 4 in Class II, and 1 in Class III. Seven patients have had transvalvular gradients and effective valve areas measured postoperatively that ranged from 32 to 5 mm Hg and 0.9 to 2.9 cm2 in 21 through 25 mm (OD) sizes.