Effectiveness of different anticalcification treatments for stentless aortic bioprostheses.

BACKGROUND

New anticalcification treatments for stentless bioprostheses have not yet been compared independently.

MATERIAL AND

METHODS

The No-reacts (Biocor), AOA (Medtronic Freestyle), and BiLinx (SJM Toronto SPV II) methods were studied and compared with a control group. Aortic valve leaflet and aortic root tissue was subcutaneously implanted in 60 male, 21-days-old Sprague-Dawley rats. Calcium content was quantified using inductively coupled plasma spectrophotometry.

RESULTS

No infections occurred. Low levels of calcium were measured in aortic valve leaflet tissue for all methods (0.4 to 1.5 mg/g dry weight) in comparison to the control group (225 mg/g), p < 0.01. Calcification of aortic root tissue was low in the Bilinx group (2.4 mg/g, p < 0.01), whereas calcium levels were high in all other groups (104 to 127 mg/g).

CONCLUSIONS

Calcification of aortic valve leaflets was significantly reduced by all new anticalcification treatments, whereas aortic root calcification was only reduced by inhibition of cellular calcification (BiLinx). Maximum anticalcification properties of both leaflet and aortic root are important, as these are considered a functional unit in stentless bioprostheses.