Pulmonary valve replacement with a mechanical prosthesis.☆Promising results of 28 procedures in patients with congenital heart disease

Pulmonary valve replacement is performed increasingly late after correction of Tetralogy of Fallot. Most reports deal with pulmonary allografts as the valvar substitute of choice, although late deterioration and reoperation(s) are the rule. Mechanical valves are scarcely reported and if so only because of complications. Although life-long anticoagulation therapy is indicated for mechanical prostheses, the chance of subsequent re-operations can be expected to be low. We report the results of 28 mechanical valve replacements in the pulmonary position.