You can't always get what you want

In the current issue of the Journal, Schnittman and colleagues1 provide an elegant retrospective analysis of isolated mitral valve replacement (MVR) operations in patients aged 18 to 50  years using New York and California administrative claims data. They found an alarming overall trend in the increase in bioprostheses (BPs) from 10% to 34% between 1997 and 2014. After excluding endocarditis and congenital abnormalities, they laudably examined 373 comprehensively propensity-matche d pairs of isolated MVR receiving mechanical prostheses (MPs) versus BP from 1997 to 2006 to assess 15-year survival and readmissions for stroke, major bleeding, and valve reoperation.
Source: The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery - Category: Cardiovascular & Thoracic Surgery Authors: Tags: Editorial commentary Source Type: research