A retrospective assessment of clinical and echocardiographic variables was performed in 145 patients who received a Toronto SPV aortic valve replacement. The majority (90%) of these elderly patients (mean age, 75.5 +/- 7.4 years) were preoperatively in New York Heart Association class III-IV. Operative mortality was 4.8%. Follow-up was complete up to 10 years and revealed few valve-related complications: thromboembolism (7), bleeding (4), and prosthesis dysfunction necessitating reoperation (3). Late mortality was cardiac-related in 11.7% and noncardiac-related in 17.2%. Actuarial survival was 83% at 5 years and 63% at 8 years. Echocardiography showed low transvalvular gradients (peak, 17.5 +/- 7.5 mm Hg; mean, 9.2 +/- 4.2 mm Hg) resulting in a significant reduction in left ventricular mass index during the first 3 years. Independent of the transprosthetic gradient, left ventricular mass index tended to increase again beyond the 5th year, which correlated positively with the presence of arterial hypertension in this older population. The Toronto SPV bioprosthesis offers an aortic valve substitute with excellent long-term hemodynamics, resulting in significant early left ventricular mass regression. Considering the limitations of this selected elderly population, the clinical outcome and survival up to 10 years are encouraging, with few observed valve-related events.