Ege Üniversitesi Tıp Fakültesi, Kalp ve Damar Cerrahisi AD, İzmir

Background: This study was planned to investigate the early and mid-term results of pulmonary homografts and xenograft valved conduits in the treatment of right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) obstruction. Methods: Between January 1997 and July 2002, 19 patients with RVOT obstruction were operated in Ege University Medical Faculty. Pulmonary homografts, which provided from our homograft bank, were used in 9 (47.3%) patients and xenografts in 10 (52.6%) patients. Cryolife-Ross stentless porcine bioprosthesis were used in 8 patients and bovine jugular vein in 2 patients as xenografts. Results: The hospital mortality was 21.05% in patients with RVOT obstruction treated with pulmonary valved conduits, while 30.0% (3/10) in xenograft group and 11.1% (1/9) in the homograft group. Minimal pulmonary insufficiency was detected by transthoracic echocardiography in 85.7% (6/7) of xenograft group patients and in 12.5% (1/8) of homograft group patients at mid-term follow-up (p = 0.026). Structural deterioration, calcification and obstruction in pulmonary conduits were not detected in any of the patients. Conclusion: The performance of the right ventricle is very important to improve the survival in patients with RVOT obstructions. If there is a shortage for homografts, xenografts can be used as an alternative with reasonable early and mid-term results for a better right ventricular performance.