[Life expectancy in acquired vitium cordis after operative treatment (author's transl)].

Indications and results of operative treatment of acquired heart diseases are presented with reference to our experience with over 1500 operations on the heart valves and over 800 coronary surgical operations. The risk in timely operation for prosthetic substitution of aortic and mitral defects is less than 5%. An essential condition is, however, that no irreversible changes have developed and that the defect could be completely corrected. Surgical treatment of coronary heart disease is superior to conservative therapy and carries a risk of under 2% on strict indication. Timely operation on segmental stenoses before the ischemic myocardium is fibrosed is an essential. 70% of patients operated on can count on freedom from complaint for the time being after these palliative operations.