Repair of trileaflet aortic valve prolapse: mid-term outcome in patients with normal aortic root morphology.

We described our mid-term results in repairing prolapsing aortic cusps in 21 patients with aortic regurgitation and normal aortic root morphology. Aortic regurgitation was moderate-severe in five patients and severe in 16 patients. Prolapse involved the left cusp in four patients (19%), the right cusp in 10 patients (47%) and the non-coronary cusp in 7 (33%) patients. Correction of the prolapsing cusp was achieved by either free edge plication, triangular resection or resuspension with polytetrafluoroethylene sutures, frequently associated to a subcommissural annuloplasty. There was no hospital death. At discharge transthoracic echocardiography, 18 patients (85%) showed no residual aortic regurgitation and three patients (14%) had trivial aortic regurgitation with a central jet. Mean clinical follow-up was 27.2+/-17.1 months (range: 10-72 months). Overall survival was 90.5%. At follow-up transthoracic echocardiography, fourteen patients (73%) were free from aortic regurgitation and five patients (26%) had mild aortic regurgitation without clinical signs of congestive heart failure. Correction of valve prolapse appears a reasonable extension of the original techniques of valve-preserving surgery.