Four cases of patients with aortic incompetence secondary to rheumatoid arthritis are presented. All survived aortic surgery (two having bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement and two a homograft aortic root replacement). A review of the pathophysiology and pathology of this rare cause of aortic regurgitation is presented. A rationale for the choice of aortic valve prosthesis is discussed.

A best evidence topic in cardiac surgery was written according to a structured protocol. The question addressed was whether radiographic and clinical control after surgery for acute type A aortic dissection (AAD) is needed for improved long-term survival. Altogether, 118 relevant papers were identified using the reported search, of which seven represented the best evidence to answer the questio...

Coagulopathy is still a frequent complication in the surgical treatment of acute aortic dissection. However, the physiopathology of surgically induced coagulopathy has never been systematically and comprehensively studied in patients with acute aortic dissection. The aim of the present study was to describe the perioperative hemostatic system in patients with acute aortic dissection.The 87 pati...

Elective cardiac surgical patients can be admitted on the morning of the operation. The day admission surgery is safe with optimal care for patients and provides an economical benefit. In our institution if immediate surgery is not required, patients are entered into program for serial follow up. An elective aortic intervention for open surgical or endovascular surgery is recommended when the r...

OBJECTIVES The purpose of this study was to analyse the correlation between preoperative systolic transvalvular flow patterns and proximal aortic wall lesions in patients undergoing surgery for bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) stenosis. METHODS A total of 48 consecutive patients with BAV stenosis (mean age 58 ± 9 years, 65% male) underwent aortic valve replacement (AVR) ± proximal aortic surgery f...

Aortic valve sparing operations were developed to preserve the native aortic valve during surgery for aortic root aneurysm as well as surgery for ascending aortic aneurysms with associated aortic insufficiency. There are basically two types of aortic valve sparing oprations: remodeling of the aortic root and reimplantation of the aortic valve. These operations have been performed for over two d...

Sutureless aortic valve replacement (AVR) was developed as an alternative treatment option to conventional open-heart surgery and transcatheter aortic valve implantation for "gray zone" patients. The need for concurrent mitral valve surgery is generally viewed as a contraindication to sutureless AVR. The purpose of this brief paper is to report our experiences with sutureless valves in patients...

Aortic valve replacement surgery is the only available treatment option able to improve survival in patients with symptomatic and severe aortic valve stenosis. Without surgical intervention, patients with symptomatic dyspnea and severe aortic valve stenosis have a median survival less than 2 years. In an ideal, patient-centered healthcare system, the decision whether to undergo risky yet potent...