Valvular Replacement in a Pediatric Population: An Italian Multicenter Study

The choice of an ideal prosthesis for valve replacement in the pediatric population is controversial, and represents a continuous challenge for the surgeon. This is because such a choice is fraught with myriad potential problems over a normal life-span, including hemorrhagic and thromboembolic events, valve dysfunction, and a need for valve replacement due to somatic growth. The present multicenter study was undertaken in an attempt to define retrospectively the historical outcome of a consecutive series of pediatric patients, aged less than 18 years, undergoing valve replacement during the past 10 years in 11 pediatric cardiothoracic centers.