Hemodynamic properties of aortic allografts in long-term follow-up
Aim. To study hemodynamic parameters of aortic allografts during long-term follow-up period. Materials and methods. From February 2009 until July 2016 aortic valve replacement using aortic allografts was performed in 102 patients. Hemodynamic parameters of implanted allografts were assessed 7-10 days postoperatively and at long-term follow-up visits: 3 and 6 months, 1, 2 and 3 years.Results: effective orifice area values for allografts with 23 mm, 25 mm and 27 mm aortic annulus were the same as for native aortic valves of corresponding size. Effective orifice area for allografts with 21 mm aortic annulus were lower than in native aortic valve. We didn’t observe any changes in effective orifice area of implanted allografts during follow-up period. Meanwhile, a significant reduction was revealed in the maximum velocity across the aortic valve allografts, resulting in suboptimal systolic and mean gradients in the early postoperative period. Systolic and mean gradients declined to the values of native aortic valve during 3 months to 2 years follow-up. Conclusion: аortic allografts in the aortic position resemble functioning of the native aortic valve during early and long-term follow-up. There were no statistically significant changes of effective orifice area during the whole follow-up period in all allografts. During the observation period of three years, we didn’t observe any stenotic dysfunctions of aortic allografts. Aortic allografts had suboptimal systolic and average gradients postoperatively with their reduction to the values of the native aortic valve during follow-up from 3 months to 2 years. Implantation of cryopreserved allografts is an alternative to mechanical and biological prostheses in elderly patients with a narrow aortic annulus.