[Aortic and mitral monovalvular replacements. Comparison of the ball prosthesis of Starr-Edwards (1260-6120) and the tilting disc prosthesis of Bjork-Shiley. Series of 390 patients].

The evaluation of short and long term replacement by the Björk-Shiley tilting disc prosthesis (BS) and by the Starr-Edwards ball and cage prosthesis (SE) was carried out on a series of 390 consecutive patients. In mitral replacement, operative mortality rate (SE 5.9 P. 100 - BS 4.8 P. 100), 5 year actuarial survival (SE 79.8 P. 100 +/- 3.8 P. 100 - BS 86.3 P. 100 +/- 9 p. 100) incidence of thromboembolic complications and valvular thrombosis (SE 1.6 P. 100 - BS 1.3 P. 100) as well as the degree of post-operative improvement were virtually identical in both types of prosthesis. Likewise, in aortic valve replacement, operative mortality rate (SE 4 p. 100 - BS 3.2 p. 100), 5 year survival (SE 82 +/- 7.8 P. 100 - BS 86 +/- 3.3 p. 100) incidence of thromboembolic complications (SE 2.2 p. 100 - BS 1.8 p. 100) and the degree of post-operative improvement were not statistically different. However, the incidence of sudden death was statistically smaller with a BS prosthesis than with a SE prosthesis (respectively 1.6 p. 100 and 6.9 p. 100).