Summary
Seventy-five patients received 80 Medtronic-Hall valve prostheses during a 24-month
period at the Beilinson Medical Center. The mean age was 50 years and the majority
of patients had rheumatic heart disease. All operations were elective. There were
4 early and 2 late deaths (8%). Four patients needed re-operation for paravalvular
leaks, 3 of them survived the second operation and one patient with prosthetic valve
endocarditis did not. One patient was re-operated on successfully because of a mycotic
aneurysm in the ascending aorta.
Mild subclinical hemolysis (elevated SLDH and reduced haptoglobin) was found in the
majority of patients. Hemolysis was found to be significantly lower in type D 16 prostheses
patients. Mild hemorrhagic complications occurred in 2 patients due to anticoagulant
therapy. Three patients suffered from prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE), 2 of them
responded to prompt medical therapy. There were no thromboembolic episodes. Most surviving
patients experienced marked postoperative improvement. Within the 24-month follow-up
period, the Medtronic-Hall valve compared favorably with other disk or ball prostheses
previously and currently used in our department.
