Clinical and Hemodynamic Findings Following Prosthetic Valve Replacement for Mitral Valve Disease

Abstract

Clinical and hemodynamic results were evaluated 12-24 mo. after mitral valve replacement with the new Bjork-Shiley tilting disc valve prosthesis. After operation, most patients were improved symptomatically and were classified as I-II [New York (USA) Heart Association]. No patient became worse. Hemodynamic status at rest showed significant reduction in pulmonary capillary venous pressure, pulmonary arterial pressure and significant increase in cardiac output when compared with the preoperative values, but postoperative hemodynamic abnormalities remained. Exercise produced a rise in pressures in the pulmonary circuit and in cardiac output. The increase in cardiac output was less than expected from the increase in O2 consumption, with a few exceptions. There appeared to be no close relationship between the symptomatic improvement and the hemodynamic results. The present study points to the importance of hemodynamic data in the objective assessment of the results of cardiac surgery.