[Clinical and paraclinical findings on status following prosthetic heart valve replacement with special reference to the behavior of pulmonary pressure].

Retrospectively were evaluated clinical findings of 151 patients with condition after replacement of artificial cardiac valves (Björk-Shiley), who were treated in our department of cardiology in 1986. The patients with mitral valve replacement (MVR) and mitral valve and aortic valve replacement showed the highest rate of individualisation in comparison to aortic valve replacement. 18 patients showed complications and acute deteriorations, respectively, two of which had a fatal course. In 53 patients the bicycle-ergometric exercises were performed with measurement of the pulmonary pressure. Of these patients the majority indeed subjectively improved in their behaviour, however, the objective exercise tolerance was altogether low and the rate of invalidisation increased in comparison to the preoperative rate. The pulmonary pressure at rest in the majority of the patients was reduced mostly in dependence on the initial values. Increases appeared only sporadically. Under exercise, however, particularly the patients with mitral valve replacement showed pathological increases of pressure. Altogether the best results showed patients with aortic valve replacement also with regard to the shrinking of the radiologically established size of the heart.