Long‐Term Clinical and Hemodynamic Evaluation of the Ionescu‐Shiley Pericardial Xenograft Heart Valve

Abstract

Pericardial xenograft heart valves have been used in 469 patients for single or multiple valve replacement. Early in the series, valves were made in-house, but since May 1976, valves have been made by Shiley Laboratories, Inc. During the eight-year observation period, there were 7% early and 7.9% late deaths. Although no anti-coagulants were used on a long-term basis, there were only eight mild embolic episodes. Preoperatively, 56--98% of all patients were in class III or IV of the NYHA classification; postoperatively, all surviving patients have been found to have improved by at least one classification.