One thousand Carpentier-Edwards pericardial valves in the aortic position: what has changed in the past 20 years, and what are the effects on hospital complications?

Background And Aim Of The Study: Over the past 20 years, both the typical age and co-morbidity of patients referred for aortic valve replacement (AVR) have increased. In order to assess the effect of these changes on hospital complications, an evaluation was conducted of patient characteristics within this time period.

Methods: This retrospective study included 1,000 consecutive patients who underwent AVR with a pericardial valve.