Background: We investigated the effect of mechanical valve implantation in the aortic position with St. Jude and CarboMedics valves on left ventricular function and dimensions at the end of the first postoperative year.

Methods: Forty-one patients underwent aortic valve replacement (AVR) for isolated aortic valve disease. Of these, 22 patients (15 males, 7 females; mean age 41 years) and 19 patients (12 males, 7 females; mean age 43 years) received St. Jude and CarboMedics bileaflet mechanical valves, respectively. The patients were assessed with regard to functional capacity and echocardiographic left ventricular function and dimensions at the end of the first postoperative year.

Results: There was no mortality. Postoperative findings did not differ significantly with 19-mm and 25-mm St. Jude and CarboMedics bileaflet mechanical valves (p>0.05). With 21-mm St. Jude and CarboMedics valves, NYHA functional class, left ventricular end-diastolic (LVED) diameter, and left ventricular mass index (LVMI) improved significantly; in addition, improvements in left ventricular endsystolic diameter (LVES), interventricular septum thickness (IVS), and posterior wall thickness were significant with CarboMedics valves. Implantation of 23-mm valves was associated with significant improvements in NYHA functional class, LVED and LVES diameters, and LVMI with St. Jude valves, and in NYHA functional class, LVED diameter, posterior wall thickness, and LVMI in CarboMedics valves. Overall improvement in LVMI did not differ significantly between St. Jude and CarboMedics valves, being 21.4% and 25.3%, respectively.

Conclusion: Our data suggest that AVR for isolated aortic valve disease improves left ventricular functions and dimensions, and increases functional capacity of patients depending on the valve size and regardless of the kind of prosthesis used.

Keywords : Aortic valve stenosis/surgery; echocardiography; heart valve prosthesis; hypertrophy, left ventricular; ventricular function, left