Isolated Aortic Valve Replacement: Early Results from a 16-Year Experience

Background: Aortic valve replacement (AVR) has been a routine procedure since the introduction of heart valve prostheses in the late 1960s and early 1970s. It is the most commonly performed heart valve surgery in cardiac surgical practice. This study aims to present the early postoperative outcomes of isolated AVR surgery performed at the Service of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Center "Mother Teresa," Tirana, Albania, from January 2007 to December 2023. Materials and Methods: Patients who underwent isolated aortic valve surgery were included in this retrospective study. All surgeries were performed at the Service of Cardiac Surgery, University Hospital Center ‘Mother Teresa,’ Tirana, Albania, from January 2007 to December 2023. Results: The study included 491 patients (311 males and 180 females) with a mean age of 62.28 ± 10.76 years. The majority of patients (72.5%) had aortic valve stenosis. At hospital admission, most patients were classified as New York Heart Association (NYHA) Class III (54.2%) or Class II (38.9%). In-hospital mortality was 1.6% (8/491 patients). The most frequent postoperative complications included new-onset atrial fibrillation (15.5%), conduction disorders requiring permanent pacemaker implantation (6.5%), and low cardiac output syndrome (3.7%). Cardiopulmonary bypass time, aortic cross-clamp time, respiratory Assistance time, intensive care unit stay, and postoperative hospital stay were 83.85 ± 22.63 minutes, 65.22 ± 19.20 minutes, 16.2 ± 42.16 hours, 59.59 ± 65.60 hours, and 9.15 ± 4.45 days, respectively. Conclusion: The early results of aortic valve surgery at our center are satisfactory and significant. With a low mortality rate and a relatively low incidence of postoperative complications, our outcomes align with international standards, underscoring the safety and effectiveness of AVR in our institution. These findings contribute to the growing body of knowledge in cardiac surgery, providing valuable insights for future research and practice.