Implications of prosthetic valve implantation: an 8-year follow-up of patients with porcine bioprostheses.

Nurses in cardiovascular critical care settings routinely care for patients with implanted valvular prostheses. The presence of an artificial valve substitutes a new disease state for the preexisting valvular disease. Five hundred nine patients who underwent cardiac valve replacement with porcine bioprostheses and who were followed for a total of 1633 patient-years provide the data base for discussion of long-term survival, functional capacity, and morbidity associated with valvular prostheses. Seventy-two percent of patients survived 5 years after operation. New York Heart Association functional class was improved in 84%. Three major types of morbidity were documented: thromboembolism, endocarditis, and valve failure. Cardiovascular nurses should be familiar with the implications of valvular prostheses to provide appropriate patient education and to facilitate the prompt detection and treatment of valve-related complications.