CARDIAC VALVAR REPLACEMENT IN SHEEP – DESCRIPTION OF SURGICAL TECHNIQUE AND OUTCOME

Abstract

To evaluate the technical procedures
of a research protocol with tissue-engineered heart
valves in sheep, the surgical techniques for pulmonic,
aortic and mitral valve replacement and the outcome
of 58 heart valve surgeries was analyzed. The
sheeps (age 18 ± 7 weeks and body weigh 30 ± 9.9
kg) were implanted with valve bioprosthesis under
standard protocols. Forty animals received pulmonic
valve prosthesis, fourteen animals received aortic
prosthesis and four animals were implanted with
mitral prosthesis. The fourth intercostal space were
considered the best for all operative techniques.
The cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) method through
canulation of descending aorta and right atrial were
considered fast and secure. The CPB time of pulmonic
valve replacement was 34 ± 14 minutes and mortality
rate was 7,5%. The CPB time of subcoronarian aortic
valve implantation was 119 ± 5 minutes and the
mortality rate was 57%. In mitral substitution the CPB
time was 74 ± 22 minutes and mortality was 50%.
The technique of pulmonic valve replacement was
very efficient, however the mortality rate of both aortic
and mitral valve surgery, associated with the highly
surgical technical complexity and elevated CPB time,
require technical refinements to improve exploitation
of the animals on the left side cardiac surgeries.