The Australian experience with prosthetic valves

Abstract

It is a difficult task to cover a topic as general as this, however, the matter will be approached from several aspects in the hope that justice will be done to the subject. Table 24.1 shows the total experience in Australia with valve replacement from 1963 to the end of 1972 taken from the National Heart Foundation of Australia annual reports on cardiac surgery. The present case-load position is indicated by the figures for 1972 alone. As expected these 1972 figures show an increase of valve replacements per Unit with a very significant decrease in mortality. This introduces the essential theme of this presentation, namely that the valves are better, the surgery is better and that continued use of prosthetic valves is justified.