Homograft valve replacement for aortic valve disease.

Our experience with homograft replacement of the aortic valve now includes 175 patients operated on over a period of almost three years, and we have come to aceept this method as the best surgical treatment for aortic incompetence and for calcific aortic stenosis. As others continue to use a ball valve prosthesis, it is important to analyse the results with the homograft valve, paying particular attention to the follow-up period. All patients operated on in this way during the first two years from the inception of this technique in August 1962 have therefore been reviewed: with two exceptions, all survivors have been followed from four to 28 months from the time of operation. Post-operative cardiac catheterization has been performed in 21 patients operated on early in the series. The first 44 patients were included in an earlier account of this subject (Barratt-Boyes, 1964).