Objective: The composite mechanical valve conduit has been most commonly used for patients who require combined aortic valve, root, and ascending aorta replacement, but is limited, especially in the elderly, because of the need for long-term anticoagulation. We report the ®rst consecutive series of patients in whom a composite stentless valve with graft extension, which does not require long-te...

The aortic valve operates in a complex haemodynamic environment, opening and closing over 100,000 times a day. When complications arise, such as aortic stenosis, prognosis can be very poor, leading to death within the first few years. Surgical valve replacement is currently the standard treatment for aortic stenosis. A thorough understanding of the anatomy and function of the native valve is im...

The incidence of valvular aortic stenosis has increased over the past decades due to improved life expectancy. Surgical aortic valve replacement is currently the only treatment option for severe symptomatic aortic stenosis that has been shown to improve survival. However, up to one third of patients who require lifesaving surgical aortic valve replacement are denied surgery due to high comorbid...

OBJECTIVE To investigate whether balloon dilatation of the aortic valve induces long-term macroscopic or histological changes or both to explain the restenosis process. DESIGN Prospective study of 39 consecutive patients. Sixteen later (mean (SD) 12 (10) months) required operation. This non-randomised subgroup was compared with 10 patients who had aortic valve replacement without prior dilata...

We presented an unique case of portal vein thrombosis (PVT) after aortic valve replacement due to antithrombin III (ATIII) deficiency. PVT after aortic valve replacement (AVR) is a serious complication, which has not previously been reported.

The surgery of aortic incompetence and calcific aortic stenosis has made disappointing progress, chiefly because of the need for partial or total valve replacement in many of these patients and the technical problems inherent in designing an artificial valve. In rheumatic aortic incompetence it is now fairly clear that total replacement of the valve is almost always required (McGoon, Mankin, an...

BACKGROUND Traditionally, aortic root replacement has most commonly involved mechanical composite valve grafts, which have excellent durability but necessitate lifelong anticoagulation. Stentless porcine xenografts (bioroots) are a recently developed alternative that enable root replacement without the necessity of long-term anticoagulation. This study examined the early and late outcomes of ao...

Aortic stenosis (AS) is the third most common cardiovascular disease. Aortic valve replacement (AVR) is the only effective method of treatment in most AS patients. In some patients, AS leads to poststenotic dilatation of the ascending aorta - most commonly, this occurs in patients with concurrent aortic regurgitation or bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and in patients after aortic valve replacement....

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to analyze the midterm clinical results of aortic valve replacement with cryopreserved homografts. MATERIALS AND METHODS Aortic valve replacement was performed in 40 patients with cryopreserved homograft. The indications were aortic valve endocarditis in 20 patients (50%), truncus arteriosus in 6 patients (15%), and re-stenosis or regurtitation after aortic...