Heart valve replacement is the major surgical treatment of severe valvular diseases. Due to the durability and reoperation-free, mechanical valves are widely used. Bioprosthesis valves became popular recently because of long service life and no demand for lifelong anticoagulation. However, how to choose the appropriate prosthetic heart valves, especially the application of bioprosthesis valves for patients at 55 to 65 years is still a major problem. This review focuses on more effective and scientific basis for rational choice of mechanical and bioprosthesis valve.
For patients with aortic valve disease who require replacement of their native valve, surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) has been the standard of care. Due to the hemorrhage and thromboembolic risks of long-term anticoagulation therapy for mechanical prosthesis, bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement (AVR) has a trend to be used in younger patients, which raising the concern for the durability of bioprosthetic valves. The newly published 5-year outcomes of PERIGON trial, with no structural valve deterioration, again demonstrated the favorable durability of the new generation bioprosthetic valves, further providing the evidence of using bioprosthetic AVR in younger patients. At the meantime, the rapid progress of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has brought a new treatment option. For younger patients with low risks, choosing SAVR or TAVI becomes a critical decision. This paper reviews the outcomes of PERIGON trial and its implications to the clinical practice and research of bioprosthetic AVR.