Modified Ross Procedure for a Young Woman with a Root Abscess on a Bicuspid Aortic Valve: Report of a Case

Abstract

A 19-year-old woman with a bicuspid aortic valve was admitted because of active infective endocarditis with a root abscess. Four weeks of antibiotic therapy achieved negative blood cultures and normalized inflammatory signs; however, echocardiography revealed severe aortic regurgitation through an abscess cavity located at the root. The modified Ross procedure, in which the pulmonary autograft was reinforced with a prosthetic graft to prevent postoperative annular dilation, was successfully performed. The postoperative clinical course was uneventful, and echocardiography performed at 1 year showed trivial aortic regurgitation. Selection of homograft may benefit young woman who wishes to bear children, and covering pulmonary autograft by a prosthetic graft in order to prevent annular dilatation of autograft in patient with bicuspid aortic valve, may be allowed only under negative infection sign.