Browsing by Author "Koshy, J"

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    Mitral valve replacement for rheumatic heart disease in Southern Africa
    (BioMed Central Ltd, 2013) Zilla, Peter; Koshy, J; Brink, J; Human, P
    Background: Threshold countries like South Africa provide cardiac surgery to a largely indigent population with rheumatic heart disease. Although repairs are a preferred treatment modality many rheumatic mitral valves can only be replaced. In view of significantly improved primary health care and broad access of the indigent population to communication technology we revisited the efficacy of mitral valve replacement (MVR) at the interface of the developing and developed world. Methods: A cohort of 280 patients (mean age 40.7±13.7y/range 12-80y/median 41y; 76.4% female) with rheumatic heart disease (21% MR; 11% MS; 68% mixed) undergoing mitral valve replacement (MVR) (88.2% mechanical versus 11.8% tissue valves) was analyzed.