The Carpentier-Edwards standard porcine bioprosthesis was implanted in 1,000 operations (988 patients with 1,092 valves) between 1975 and 1981. The mean age of the patients was 56.8 years (range 8 to 85 years). During the years 1975 and 1981, approximately 97% of the total valvular surgery population received the prosthesis. The early mortality was 7.8% (including patients with concomitant procedures including coronary artery bypass and ascending aortic aneurysm resection). Late mortality was 3.8% per patient-year. The total cumulative follow-up was 5,937 years. Thromboembolism (TE) was 1.3% per patient-year (fatal 0.4%/patient-year) (minor 0.4%; major 0.9%); antithromboembolic therapy-related hemorrhage (ATH) 0.5% (fatal 0.1%); prosthetic valve endocarditis (PVE) 0.5% (fatal 0.2%); periprosthetic leak (PPL) 0.4% (fatal 0.2%); clinical valve dysfunction (CVD) 0.2% (fatal 0.02%); and structural valve deterioration (SVD)/primary tissue failure 1.6% per patient-year (fatal 0.2%/pt-yr). Thromboembolism and SVD occurring primarily between the sixth and tenth year of evaluation, were the significant complications. The overall patient survival was 60.5% +/- 2.4% at 10 years. The patients were classified as 93.5% NYHA functional Class III and IV, preoperatively and 93.1% Class I and II, postoperatively. The freedom at 10 years from TE was 82.9% +/- 2.7%; SVD 76.9% +/- 2.9%; and reoperation 70.8% +/- 3.1%. Freedom from all valve-related complications at 10 years was 54.3% +/- 3.1%; valve-related mortality 86.4% +/- 2.3%; mortality and reoperation (valve failure) 64.0% +/- 3.2%; mortality and residual morbidity (treatment failure) 82.3% +/- 2.6%; and mortality, residual morbidity, and reoperation (valve failure and dysfunction) 60.6% +/- 3.2%. There were 61 valve-related deaths of a total 352 deaths (early 7, late 54) (TE 21; ATH 7; CVD 1; PVE 12; PPL 9; and SVD 11). Valve-related reoperations were performed in 128 patients (TE 3; CVD 4; PVE 14; PPL 17; and SVD 90). The standard Carpentier-Edwards porcine bioprosthesis has provided very satisfactory clinical performance and afforded patients excellent quality of life. Primary tissue failure is the significant long-term complication.