The bicuspid aortic valve is the most common congenital cardiac anomaly in developed nations. The abnormal bicuspid morphology of the aortic valve results in valvular dysfunction and subsequent hemodynamic derangements. However, the clinical presentation of bicuspid aortic valve disease remains quite heterogeneous with patients presenting from infancy to late adulthood with variable degrees of ...

BACKGROUND Aortic valve-preserving procedures have resulted in excellent outcomes in selected patients, particularly those with normal aortic valve leaflets and dilated aortic roots. However, several congenital heart lesions are associated with abnormal aortic valve leaflets. The long-term results of aortic valve repair for these lesions are not well defined. METHODS AND RESULTS We reviewed t...

The treatment of aortic root and ascending aortic aneurysms often requires addressing concomitant aortic valve pathology. In the setting of aortic stenosis secondary to cusp degeneration, aortic valve replacement (AVR) is performed. However, when patients present with aortic insufficiency and normal cusp anatomy, a dilemma arises. Historically valve replacement has been performed; however, curr...

The term “sutureless aortic valve” (su-AV) describes a type of valve which facilitates anchoring of bioprostheses in the aortic position without use of conventional sutures. Although all valve prostheses used for transcatheter aortic valve implantation or replacement (TAVI or TAVR) follow the same principle, they are implanted by wire-based techniques as opposed to su-AVs, which are implanted b...

OBJECTIVE To assess the midterm follow-up of reduction aortoplasty with external wrapping associated with aortic valve replacement in high risk patients. METHODS Six patients with ascending aortic aneurysm and aortic valve disease were included in this study. Four of them were male. The age ranged from 61 to 70 years (mean 65.7 years). One patient presented severe mitral valve insufficiency. ...

Aortic valve dysfunction may be the consequence of congenital malformation of the aortic valve. Unicuspid,'2 bicuspid,'-6 tricuspid,23 and quadricuspid68 aortic valves have all been described. We describe a patient who presented with cardiac enlargement caused by aortic valve incompetence and stenosis. Echocardiograms repeatedly showed multiple closing lines in the aortic valve orifice. This pa...

Echographic aortic valve closure was compared to the dicrotic notch of the aortic pressure and intracardiac A2 to define the exact temporal relationship of the echographic, pressure, and sound parameters of aortic valve closure. Sixteen children, ages 3--20 years, were evaluated by simultaneous aortic valve echograms, micromanometric aortic root pressure tracings, and intracardiac phonocardiogr...

Congenital aortic stenosis (AS) is caused by abnormal morphological development of the aortic valve. [1, 2] Valvular abnormalities may be accompanied by supraor subvalvular stenosis. The embryogenic process that forms aortic valves begins approxi‐ mately 31–32 days of gestation. Cavity formation in the basal portion of the truncus arteriosus is a key process in the development of the leaflet an...

Follow-up of a group of subjects in whom an aortic ejection sound was the only abnormal finding revealed a bicuspid aortic valve at necropsy or operation in 6 cases. High speed echophonocardiographic studies in 15 subjects with aortic stenosis and known to have bicuspid valves, showed the ejection sound to be exactly synchronous with final halting of the opening aortic valve cusps. Echocardiogr...

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to use transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) to define the mechanisms of aortic regurgitation (AR) in acute type A aortic dissection so as to assist the surgeon in identifying patients with mechanisms of AR suitable for valve preservation. BACKGROUND Significant AR frequently complicates acute type A aortic dissection necessitating either aortic valve...