Predictors of the size of prosthetic aortic valve and in-hospital mortality in aortic valve replacement.

Purpose: We hypothesized that gender, age, aortic root dimension, blood group and Left Ventricular End Diastolic and Systolic Diameters may have a significant correlation with the size of mechanical valve used.

Methods: We included 48 patients retrospectively who had been operated at a single tertiary hospital. All patients with aortic stenosis or regurgitation were included in the study. Patients who had undergone previous cardiac surgery or concomitant surgical procedures, such as coronary artery bypass grafting, were excluded from the study.

Results: The median size of the valves used in males (23mm) and females (21mm) were significantly different (P = 0.001). Size of the valve used was significantly associated with Left Ventricular End Systolic Diameter (LVESD) (r = 0.327, P = 0.007) and aortic root dimension (r = 0.526, P < 0.001). Moreover, significantly higher values of LVESD were observed in the expired patients (P = 0.023).

Conclusion: This study shows that aortic root dimension and gender may be important predictors for the size of the prosthetic aortic valve used in aortic valve replacement. Our study also concludes that LVESD has significant relationship with in-hospital mortality. However, more long term clinical trials should be conducted to confirm these relationships.