Objectives: Since 1967, the Ross procedure has been performed to treat aortic valve disease using homografts for pulmonary valve replacement. The decellularized Matrix P® prosthesis was developed to overcome (some) limitations of homografts. Until now, the long-term outcome data have been unavailable.
Methods: Between 2002 and 2010, the Ross procedures using the Matrix P prosthesis were performed in 492 adult patients (mean age 57.2 ± 10.6 years, range 21-73 years) at our institution. Patient data were prospectively collected and analysed (3617.3 patient-years, mean follow-up 7.7 ± 4.3 years). Completeness of follow-up at 1, 5 and 10 years was 98.4%, 94.5% and 91.0%, respectively.
Results: Hospital mortality was 3.9% (n = 19). During follow-up, 121 patients died resulting in a survival rate at 5, 10 and 12.5 years of 82.8 ± 1.7%, 70.4 ± 2.3% and 62.4 ± 2.9%, respectively. Echocardiography revealed a high incidence of relevant dysfunction of the Matrix P prosthesis and subsequent right ventricular failure. Primary reoperation/reintervention was necessary for 150 Matrix P and 48 autografts. Freedom from pulmonary valve reoperation at 5, 10 and 12.5 years was 76.2 ± 2.1%, 58.6 ± 2.9% and 53.4 ± 3.4%, respectively. The autograft function and the left ventricular function showed similar results as previously reported with a freedom from autograft reoperation at 5, 10 and 12.5 years of 91.8 ± 1.4%, 86.1 ± 2.0% and 86.1 ± 2.0%, respectively.
Conclusions: The Matrix P prosthesis used for the right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction in the Ross procedure showed unfavourable long-term echocardiographic results with a high rate of reoperation/reintervention for structural pulmonary valve failure. As a consequence, long-term survival of this patient cohort was impaired. Based on these findings, the use of the Matrix P prosthesis for pulmonary valve replacement for Ross procedures in adults should not be recommended.
Keywords: Aortic valve replacement; Bioprosthesis; Heart valve prosthesis; Pulmonary valve replacement; Ross procedure.
© The Author(s) 2018. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.