Mitral valve replacement using mechanical prostheses in children: early and long-term outcomes

Pediatr Cardiol. 2012 Apr;33(4):639-45. doi: 10.1007/s00246-012-0194-y. Epub 2012 Feb 16.

Abstract

Compared with mitral repair, mitral valve replacement is an uncommon procedure in children due to associated high mortality and morbidity rates. The present study investigated early and late outcomes after MVR with mechanical prostheses in children at our institution. Between January 1994 and December 2009, 19 children underwent MVR. Mean patient age was 7.6 ± 5.5 years (range 3 months-16 years), and mean body weight was 23.7 ± 15.1 kg (range 5.0-58.1 kg). Mean prosthesis size was 25.8 ± 4.2 mm (range 19-31 mm). There were no operative or late mortalities. Three patients showed decreased left-ventricular function before surgery, and one of them underwent successful heart transplantation due to progressive LV dysfunction at 10 months after MVR. The proportion of patients with freedom from reoperation at 10 years was 94.7 ± 5%. There were no major thromboembolic or bleeding episodes. Although the small number of patients in our study was a limitation, MVR in children was found to result in excellent early and long-term outcomes. It appears that MVR could be considered in children before LV dysfunction develops.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study

MeSH terms

  • Adolescent
  • Child
  • Child, Preschool
  • Female
  • Follow-Up Studies
  • Heart Valve Diseases / physiopathology
  • Heart Valve Diseases / surgery*
  • Heart Valve Prosthesis*
  • Humans
  • Incidence
  • Infant
  • Male
  • Postoperative Complications
  • Prosthesis Design
  • Republic of Korea / epidemiology
  • Retrospective Studies
  • Survival Rate / trends
  • Time Factors
  • Treatment Outcome
  • Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / epidemiology
  • Ventricular Dysfunction, Left / physiopathology
  • Ventricular Function, Left*