Early Clinical Results with the Xenomedica Porcine Bioprosthesis

Abstract

All patients undergoing heart valve replacement with a glutaraldehyde-preserved Xenomedica xenograft from June 1983 through November 1983, were reviewed. This analysis included 75 patients: 37 having undergone aortic valve replacement, 23 mitral valve replacement, and 15 mitral and aortic valve replacement. Of 70 patients discharged from the hospital, there were 5 late deaths, which represents an incidence of 1.06% per patient-year. Twenty-six patients were recatheterized between 3 and 6 months postoperatively. The mean mitral valve orifice area was 1.57 +/- 0.37 cm2. The average mitral valve gradient was 9.8 +/- 2.9 mmHg. No differences in hemodynamic behavior were found between standard and composite mitral prostheses. The average aortic valve peak systolic gradient was 11 +/- 6 mmHg. Fourteen out of the 34 mitral (41%) and 5 out of 52 aortic (9.6%) prostheses have some degree of incompetence. We have discontinued the use of this cardiac bioprosthesis due to the frequent appearance of incompetence in mitral valves, and high transvalvular gradients in mitral prostheses.