Long-term results of aortic valve replacement with posterior root enlargement.

BackgroundPosterior root enlargement provides the implantation of suitable-sized prosthetic valves in patients with a small aortic root. The aim of this study was to evaluate the long-term results of posterior root enlargement in patients undergoing aortic valve replacement.MethodsBetween 1997 and 2011, 103 patients with a small aortic annulus (indexed effective orifice area < 0.75 cm−2 · m−2) underwent aortic valve replacement with posterior aortic root enlargement. Forty-six (44%) patients were male. The mean age was 28.62 ± 18.56 years. Survivors were followed up for a mean of 45.6 ± 32.4 months.ResultsEarly mortality was 9.6%. The most common cause of early mortality was low cardiac output syndrome (6 patients). There were 2 (1.9%) late deaths due to cerebrovascular events. During the follow-up period, mild paravalvular leakage occurred in only one (1%) patient, and one suffered a malfunction of the prosthesis. A significant reduction was seen in the peak pressure gradients across the replaced aortic ...