Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2013; 61 - V41
DOI: 10.1055/s-0033-1354469

Comparing Bovine Jugular Veins to Homografts in Pulmonary Position: 711 Patients, 2 Centers, Various Treatment Schemes, 27 Implantation Years, 3,092 Observation Years

E Sandica 1, U Blanz 1, R Goerg 1, N Haas 1, H Bertram 2, T Breymann 2, D Boethig 2, S Sarikouch 1, P Beerbaum 2, A Horke 2
  • 1Herzzentrum Nordrhein-Westfalen
  • 2Medizinische Hochschule Hannover

Background: Various diseases, ages, and diagnostic/therapeutic options hamper long-term comparisons of valved conduits. Raw data pooling of two high volume sites considering all these facts gives new insights.

Patients and Methods: From 1985 to 2012, 444 bovine jugular veins and 267 homografts were implanted. A total of 6,738 postoperative examinations took place. Evaluation included age stratified Kaplan-Meier analyses and shows the relative frequencies of intact, insufficient, stenotic, both insufficient and stenotic, and postinterventional conduits below the “free from explantation” curve.

Results: The fraction of intact bovine jugular veins in children and young adults is not inferior to homografts; averaged on the first 12 years after implantation, the advantage was at least 10%.

Conclusion: Bovine jugular veins are a valid homograft alternative.

V41, Fig. 1