Clinical evaluation of St Jude Medical Hemodynamic Plus versus standard aortic valve prostheses: the Italian multicenter, prospective, randomized study

Objective: Hemodynamic and clinical performances of 21-mm and 23-mm St Jude Medical Hemodynamic Plus aortic valves (St Jude Medical, Inc, St Paul, Minn) were compared with those of 21-mm and 23-mm St Jude Medical standard cuff aortic valves in the first such multicenter, prospective, randomized study. Hemodynamic Plus valves are mechanical, bileaflet prostheses suitable for the small aortic anulus. Methods: Patients with 21-mm and 23-mm. anulus diameters were randomized to receive either a Hemodynamic Plus or a standard cuff valve. Postoperatively and at 6 months after the operation, patients underwent 2-dimensional Doppler echocardiography. Ejection fraction, cardiac output, peak gradient, mean gradient, effective orifice area, effective area index, and performance index were calculated. Postoperative and 6-month echocardiographic measurements and their variations across observation times were analyzed statistically. Results: Of the 140 patients enrolled, 5 died at operation and 1 died of aortic dissection during the follow-up period. Eight patients were lost to follow-up. A total of 125 patients completed the study. In 1 patient a sewing cuff escaped intraoperatively. At 6 months the 21-mm and 23-mm Hemodynamic Plus valves showed significantly lower peak gradients and mean gradients than those of the 21-mm and 23-mm standard cuff valves. The 21-mm Hemodynamic Plus valves had gradients similar to those of the 23-mm Hemodynamic Plus valves. The effective orifice area did not differ significantly between the Hemodynamic Plus and standard cuff valves at either measurement. No valve mismatch was found in the 4 groups of patients. A more enhanced decrease of peak gradients and mean gradients and a more enhanced increase of effective orifice areas, effective area indices, and performance indices were found across observation times for patients with Hemodynamic Plus valves compared with those with standard cuff valves. Conclusions: Clinical hemodynamic performances of 21-mm and 23-mm St Jude Medical Hemodynamic Plus valves correspond closely with those of standard cuff valves, and gradients are substantially better than those of standard cuff valves of the same diameter. Therefore, use of this valve may minimize the need for aortic anulus enlargement. Early follow-up results with the Hemodynamic Plus valves were excellent, although more time is required to confirm this outcome.