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Original Link
http://www.albany.edu/news/release_7373.php ALBANY, N.Y.
(August 31, 2009) -- Patients who have aortic valve replacement
(AVR) surgery but did not have other significant risk factors
have a nearly identical 30-month survival rate as the general
population, according to a study led by University at Albany
Distinguished Professor Edward L. Hannan recently published in
the Annals of Thoracic Surgery. The study, "Aortic Valve
Replacement for Patients with Severe Aortic Stenosis: Risk
Factors and Their Impact on 30-Month Mortality," found that
patients who underwent AVR without any of a few severe risk
factors had a risk-adjusted survival rate of 89.9 percent,
nearly identical with the general population (90.0 percent).
Additionally, for people age 75 and over, the survival rate was
86.2 percent for patients who only required the AVR procedure.
Patients with associated risk factors, such as advancing age,
emergency status, low ejection fraction, congestive heart
failure, or previous heart surgery faced significantly lower
survival rates.
"Our study demonstrated that the medium-term mortality of AVR
patients is excellent, and that for the large number of patients
without high-risk conditions like congestive heart failure, low
ejection fractions, a recent heart attack, or hemodynamic
instability, the 30-month survival is essentially as high as
that of an age-sex matched group of the U.S. population," said
Dr. Hannan, distinguished professor of health policy, management
and behavior at UAlbany's School of Public Health.
Hannan's study tracks 30-month survival rates among patients who
underwent AVR surgery due to severe aortic stenosis. (Image
courtesy Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
"Although we were not able to compare AVR patients to patients
with aortic stenosis (the condition that precipitates the need
for AVR) who did not undergo AVR, the fact that many AVR
patients have been demonstrated to fare as well as an age-sex
matched group of patients without aortic stenosis certainly
indicates that AVR is an appropriate intervention for patients
with the condition," said Dr. Hannan.
The study utilized the New York State Department of Health's
Cardiac Surgery Reporting System database, and incorporated
information from 6,369 patients. Hannan, who serves as the
School of Public Health’s associate dean for research, is
acclaimed nationally and internationally for bringing
evidence-based medicine to the attention of practicing
clinicians, and is a leading expert on health care quality and
outcomes.
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