Intermediate to late results of aortic or mitral valvuloplasty by rasping procedure

: We have proposed Rasping procedure as one of the methods of aortic valvuloplasty (A-Rasping) and defined as debridement of the thickened surface of the rheumato-degenerative aortic valve using an electric rasper since 1986. Furthermore, we have extended this technique to mitral valvuloplasty (M-Rasping). The purpose of this study is to evaluate intermediate to late results of valvuloplasty by Rasping procedure. From 1986 to 1994, this method was carried out on 14 patients with mild-to-moderate aortic valve disease in severe mitral valve disease or coronary artery disease, and on 6 patients with mitral stenosis. In A-Rasping group, aortic regurgitation was found in 10 patients and aortic stenosis was found in 4 patients. The degree of regurgitation, the transvalvular pressure gradient, and the pre- and postoperative cardiac function in both group were investigated chronologically by echocardiography. In this series of patients, no hospital mortally including operative death was observed. Furthermore, reoperation for repaired aortic or mital valve was not required. In A-Rasping group, 2 late deaths (14.2%) occurred at 1 year and 4 years after operation. Cause of 2 late deaths was prosthetic valve endocarditis in mitral position. In A-Rasping group, at 1 year after operation, regurgitation was reduced to degree I or less in all patients. However, at the 3rd postoperative year, regurgitation increased to degree II in 2 patients. As compared with the preoperative values, the transvalvular pressure gradient significantly decreased in 4 patients (29.5 +/- 7.6 mmHg vs 12.5 +/- 5.0 mmHg, p = 0.02).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)