Valve replacement in the small aortic annulus: prospective randomized trial of St. Jude with Medtronic Hall.

Objective: The ideal prosthesis for aortic valve replacement in patients with small annuli remains controversial and has yet to be identified. The purpose of this report is to compare the St. Jude (SJ) Medical and Medtronic Hall (MH) valves for aortic valve replacement in the small aortic root.

Management of asymptomatic mild aortic stenosis during coronary artery operations.

Background: Management of asymptomatic mild aortic stenosis at the time of coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) remains controversial. We have retrospectively analyzed a cohort of patients requiring aortic valve replacement (AVR) subsequent to CABG and compared their operative morbidity and mortality with that of a group receiving CABG and AVR simultaneously at the first operation.

Methods: Analysis is drawn from 28 patients who required AVR 8 +/- 4 years subsequent to CABG (group A) and 175 patients receiving AVR along with CABG at the primary operation (group B).

Effect of advancing age on cost and outcome of coronary artery bypass grafting.

The clinical and billing records of 250 patients (173 men and 77 women) undergoing isolated coronary artery bypass grafting between 1987 and mid-1990 were retrospectively reviewed to determine charges and clinical results as related to age. Patients were stratified by age into five groups of 50 consecutive patients each: group 1, less than 50 years of age; group 2, 50 to 59 years; group 3, 60 to 69 years; group 4, 70 to 79 years; and group 5, 80 years or older. The groups were compared in regard to perioperative clinical variables, long-term follow-up, and total charges.

Eight years' experience with bridging to cardiac transplantation.

Although bridging to cardiac transplantation has become a therapeutic option for transplant candidates whose condition deteriorates while they are awaiting a donor heart, short-term efficacy has not been proved and long-term survival has not been reported. We retrospectively reviewed data on 44 patients who had circulatory assist devices placed as a bridge to transplantation between May 1985 and April 1993. The 35 male and nine female patients ranged in age from 12 to 65 years (mean 43.

Vascular complications from intraaortic balloons: risk analysis.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to assess the incidence of and predictors for vascular complications in patients who required perioperative intraaortic balloon pump (IABP) support.

Methods: Data from 580 patients collected with a retrospective review were statistically analyzed with 25 perioperative parameters, and significant variables were evaluated with multivariate analysis. These data were also statistically compared with data from a 1983 study from our institution.