Mitral and Tricuspid Valve Replacement With Stented Aortic Valve Homografts

Abstract

A TECHNIQUE of combining homograft cardiac valves with a prosthetic stent which permits easy and dependable replacement of atrioventricular valves with homologous semilunar tissue has been described in a previous communication.¹ Subsequently, others have reported the use of such stented valves to provide easier insertion of homografts into the aortic position in calves² and to replace the atrioventricular valves in calves.³ This report is concerned with the performance and fate of prosthetically stented aortic homografts used to replace the mitral and tricuspid valves in dogs. Method Preparation of the Graft. —Adult mongrel dogs weighing between 50 and 60 lbs (22.7 and 27.2 kg) were used as valve donors and as blood donors. Following exsanguination, valves were obtained in two different ways. In the initial experiments, the valves were taken from cadaver dogs without sterile precautions. The aortic valve, along with a section of aorta and a portion