Five- to fifteen-year follow-up of fresh autologous pericardial valved conduits

Objective: Evaluate long-term results of autologous pericardial valved conduits in the pulmonary outflow. Methods: Between June 1983 and October 1993, 82 conduits were placed in the outflow of the venous ventricle, Patients who received homografts (n = 2 patients), heterografts (n = 3 patients), and valveless conduits (n = 19 patients) and those patients who died within 90 days after the operation were excluded. Fifty-four survivors of pulmonary outflow reconstruction with fresh autologous pericardial valved conduits were followed up from 5 to 15 years (mean, 7.47 +/- 2.8 years). Diagnosis include D-transposition of great arteries (n = 16 patients), L-transposition of great arteries (n = 14 patients), tetralogy of Fallot, pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect (n = 11 patients), truncus arteriosus (n = 10 patients), and double-outlet ventricle (n = 3 patients). Implantation age ranged from 0.25 to 24 years (mean, 5.2 +/- 4.2 years). Median conduit diameter was 16 mm. Two-dimensional echocardiographic Doppler evaluations were made yearly; 9 patients underwent cardiac catheterization. Reintervention fur stenosis was indicated when the pressure gradient exceeded 50 mm Hg. Results: Three late deaths were unrelated to the conduit. Thirty-five autologous pericardial valved conduits increased in diameter (1-7 mm), remained unchanged in 15 patients, and reduced 1 to 2 mm in 4 patients. The median diameter was 18 mm at the last evaluation (P = .0001). Eight patients required conduit-related reoperation 3 to 8 years after the implantation. Two patients underwent balloon dilation of the autologous pericardial valved conduit. No conduit had to be replaced. Freedom from reintervation at 5 and 10 years was 92% and 76%, being 100% at 10 years for conduits larger than 16 mm at time of implantation. Conclusions: Autologous pericardial valved show excellent long-term results and compare favorably with other conduits.