Surgical options in rheumatic heart disease: an Indian surgeon’s perspective

Rheumatic heart disease is the primary cause of valvular heart disease in India and other Southeast Asian countries. The disease is quite different from that seen in France, USA, and Australia. Poverty, malnutrition, and delayed referral affect the outcomes. Rheumatic heart disease can affect all four heart valves, mitral being the most common, aortic second, tricuspid next, and finally the pulmonary valve. The combinations of mitral and aortic, mitral and tricuspid, and all three valves are the next in frequency. Acute rheumatic fever usually manifests as quadrivalvular involvement. However, chronic rheumatic quadrivalvular heart disease has also been reported. The technical aspects taught and practiced in one institution over the past four decades are described here. Closed mitral valvotomy, mitral valve repair, or replacement with mechanical, bioprosthetic, and autograft valves are the choices. Aortic valve disease is usually treated with valve repair or replacement with mechanical, homograft or pulmonary autograft valves.

Aortic Valve Repair for Rheumatic Aortic Valve Disease

BACKGROUND

The aim of this study is to assess the long-term results of aortic valve repair in patients with rheumatic aortic valve disease.

METHODS

From April 1991 through December 2003, 61 patients with rheumatic aortic valve disease underwent aortic valve repair. Mean age was 23.7 +/- 9.3 years (range, 6 to 53 years). Thirty-nine (63.9%) patients were in New York Heart Association functional class III. Reparative procedures included cuspal thinning (n = 59), commissurotomy (n = 45), subcommissural annuloplasty (n = 24), commissural plication (n = 12), perforation closure using pericardium (n = 2), and decalcification of cusps (n = 2). Associated procedures included mitral valve repair (n = 36) and tricuspid valve repair with mitral valve repair (n = 5).

RESULTS

Early mortality was 4.9% (3 patients). Mean follow-up was 93.8 +/- 46.4 months (range, 6 to 160 months, median, 103 months). Forty-six survivors (65%) had no or trivial or mild aortic regurgitation. Four patients required reoperation for valve dysfunction. There were no late deaths. Actuarial and reoperation-free survival, at 160 months, was 95.2% +/- 2.8% and 85.4% +/- 6.7%, respectively. Freedom from significant aortic stenosis or regurgitation was 52.4% +/- 16.9%.

CONCLUSIONS

Aortic valve repair in patients with rheumatic aortic valve disease is feasible and yields gratifying long-term results.