Aortic Root Enlargement Research Articles

P1448 Thoracic aorta and circulating transforming growth factor-b in marfan syndrome and marfanoid habitus

Abstract Purpose Current understanding of the pathogenesis of thoracic aortic aneurysm (TAA) in Marfan syndrome (MS) focuses upon abnormal activity of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β) signalling pathway. Circulating TGF-β predicts cardiovascular events in patients with MS and is elevated in the entire spectrum of aortic syndromes. Marfanoid habitus (MH) patients not meeting the MS criteria (TAA, ectopia lentis, family history), but share the same skeletal features and are the part of the Marfan continuum. Our aim was to evaluate the possible role of elevated TGF-β level in the aortic dilatation at mid-term follow-up in Marfanoid habitus patients. Methods 33 consecutive patients with a presumptive clinical diagnosis of Marfan syndrome were referred to Almazov centre and enrolled in our observational, prospective, single-center study. Nine of them (mean age 27.9 ± 9.3) fulfilled diagnosis of MS according to revised Ghent criteria. 24 subjects (mean age 21.8 ± 3.4) with skeletal features of Marfanoid habitus have had no major findings of MS. Proximal aortic segments were visualized in the parasternal long-axis and suprasternal views. Concentration of TGF-β1 and TGF-β2 in serum was determined using a test system Human Platinum ELISA. End points analyzed during 5 years of follow-up were mortality, aortic-related events, and aortic dimension changes. Results During 122 person-years of the follow-up (median 5.1 years) no deaths or aortic-related events occurred in Marfanoid habitus patients. TGF-β1 and TGF-β2 serum levels were elevated in patients with Marfanoid habitus (14.2 ± 27.6 and 2.1 ± 1.7 ng/ml, respectively) but were lower than in MS group (44.6 ± 47.3 ng/ml, p = 0.03 and 2.7 ± 1.7 ng/ml, p = 0.39, respectively). A high TGF-β1 serum level (cutoff >14.75 ng/ml, provided by the manufacturer of our TGF-β assay) was detected in 44% and TGF-β2 (>2.0 ng/ml) in majority patients (67%) of the MS group. In Marfanoid habitus group we found a high TGF-β1 serum level only in 4 (17%) patients and TGF-β2 in 9 (38%) patients. Aortic diameter at the sinuses of Valsalva and Z-score were significantly lower in Marfanoid habitus group (29.2 ± 2.8 mm and 1.56 ± 0.93) than in MS patients (43.1 ± 15.1 mm, p = 0.0007 and 6.86 ± 5.83, p = 0.004) at the beginning of study and significantly increased during the follow-up (31.3 ± 2.9 mm and 1,69 ± 0,15, p < 0.001 for both). There was no correlation between TGF-β level and aortic dimensions in patients with MS and marfanoid habitus. Conclusion In young adults with Marfanoid habitus and the current absence of ascending aortic aneurysm we found the increased TGF-β level and aortic root enlargement during the follow-up. High TGF-β serum level may contribute to the excessive progression of aortic dilatation later over mid-to-late aging and requires further investigation to establish its role in the aortic aneurysm pathogenesis.

Konno Procedure for Managing Small Aortic Root during Aortic Valve Replacement Surgery: An Experience of 12 Cases

Background: Small aortic annulus during aortic valve replacement can lead to implanting a smaller sized valve compared to the body surface area thereby causing patient prosthesis mismatch. Various aortic root enlargement techniques have been described depending on anterior or posterior approach. Konno procedure uses anterior approach for aortic root enlargement. In this study, we reviewed results of Konno procedure done from 2011 to 2019 by a single surgeon. Methods: 12 adult patients who underwent aortic valve replacement along with Konno procedure for small aortic root by a single surgeon at a single center between 2011 and 2019 were reviewed. Echocardiographic and demographic data and post-operative data were obtained from medical records. Symptomatic profile was assessed as per New York Heart Association Classification. Intraoperative findings and post-operative period findings were noted. Follow up symptom profile was assessed for these patients. Results: 12 patients underwent Konno procedure between 2011 and 2019 for small aortic root along with valve replacement. The main indication for surgery was aortic stenosis with small aortic annulus, with or without involvement of the mitral valve. Preoperatively, 3 patients had NYHA class II and 9 patients had NYHA class III symptoms. Mean age at operation was 26.42 years, minimum age 10 years, and maximum age 39 years. 3 were females and 9 were males. Mean bypass time was 106.4 minutes and aortic cross clamp time was 80.67 minutes. Mechanical aortic valves were implanted in all patients. Mean post-operative blood loss was 134.2 ml and duration of ventilation before extubation was 14.5 hours. Mean duration of intensive care unit (ICU) stay was 2.83 days and hospital stay was 9.1 days. Mean gradient in the post-operative period was 10.75 mm Hg. There was no mortality in these 12 patients and no reoperation was needed in the follow up period. Follow up in the outpatient department suggested all patients had NYHA class I symptoms and anticoagulation with warfarin adjusted to prothrombin time— International normalised ratio. Conclusion: Konno procedure is effective for managing small aortic root as bigger outflow orifice area through the larger valve prosthesis improves ventricular outflow and hence, improves the outcomes.

Posterior aortic root enlargement (Nick's procedure), mechanical aortic valve replacement and patch closure of the sacciform proximal aortic arch aneurysm by “open” technique without circulatory arrest: a video presentation

Posterior aortic root enlargement (Nick's procedure), mechanical aortic valve replacement and patch closure of the sacciform proximal aortic arch aneurysm by “open” technique without circulatory arrest: a video presentation

Finite Element Simulation Based Analysis of Valve-sparing Aortic Root Surgery

The valve-sparing aortic root surgery is frequently used in the treatment of aortic root enlargement or aortic root aneurysm. The currently used common surgical practice assumes that the valve leaflets are distributed evenly around the circle defined by the aorta wall which is frequently a false assumption according to hart anatomy studies. A finite element simulation based method is proposed in this study for the analysis of the alternative surgical outcomes of the valve-sparing aortic root surgery. The simulation methods allow the definition of the aortic valve leaflet commissure positions and the diameter of the graft used to replace the aortic root. The suggested methods are able to estimate and quantitatively compare the hemodynamic functions and the robustness of the aortic valve functions. The corresponding modeling environment makes possible the easy definition of the patient specific aortic root model that is used as an input of the simulation. The initial validation of the simulation method was done by a real patient data based simulation study. These results suggest that the currently used surgical practice can be improved.

Invited Commentary

Invited Commentary

The predictive value of the epicardial adipose thickness in the rate of expansion of the aortic root.

Epicardial adipose tissue (ECAT) is metabolically active and is involved in the development of atherosclerosis. The thickness of ECAT has been positively correlated with the dimensions of the ascending aorta. We aimed to examine whether ECAT thickness predicted the expansion of the aortic dimensions. The imaging results of patients who had undergone transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) examinations more than twice during the period 2005-2015 were surveyed. We included adult patients who had undergone TTE examinations at least 1year apart. The ECAT was measured in the parasternal long-axis view from the index TTE study. End-diastolic dimensions in three consecutive beats were averaged for all measurements. The annulus, root, and sinotubular junction (STJ) were also measured. The amount of increase (if any) in aortic dimensions per year was calculated and the correlation of this increase with the initial thickness of the ECAT was analyzed. In total, 429 examinations were performed with 197 patients (17females), from which 394 examinations were analyzed. The ECAT thickness was 8.6 ± 3.6 mm. In the initial examinations, the annulus, STJ, and root measured 23 ± 4, 28 ± 4, and 34 ± 4 mm, respectively. In univariate analysis, for every 1 mm of ECAT thickness, the STJ expanded 0.056 (95% CI: 0.001-0.112 mm/year; p = 0.030) and the aortic root expanded 0.088 mm/year (p < 0.001). In multivariate analysis, ECAT thickness remained an independent predictor of the aortic root expansion. For every 1‑mm increase in ECAT thickness, the aortic root expanded by 0.036 mm (95% CI: 0.010-0.062) per year (p = 0.007). The thickness of the ECAT is apredictor of more rapid increases in the dimensions of the aortic root. Further studies of patients with established aortic aneurysm are warranted.

Effect of sinus diameter on the opening and closing performance of aortic valve under the expansion of aortic root

This study aims to explore the effect of aortic sinus diameter on aortic valve opening and closing performance in the case of no obvious disease of aortic valve and annulus and continuous dilation of aortic root. A total of 25 three-dimensional aortic root models with different aortic sinus and root diameters were constructed according to the size of clinical surgical guidance. The valve sinus diameter DS is set to 32, 36, 40, 44 and 48 mm, respectively, and the aortic root diameter DA is set to 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 mm, respectively. Through the structural mechanics calculation with the finite element software, the maximum stress, valve orifice area, contact force and other parameters of the model are analyzed to evaluate the valve opening and closing performance under the dilated state. The study found that aortic valve stenosis occurs when the DS = 32 mm, DA = 26, 27 mm and DS = 36 mm, DA = 26 mm. Aortic regurgitation occurs when the DS = 32, 36 and 40 mm, DA = 30 mm and DS = 44, 48 mm, DA = 29, 30 mm. The other 15 models had normal valve movement. The results showed that the size of the aortic sinus affected the opening and closing performance of the aortic valve. The smaller sinus diameter adapted with the larger root diameter and the larger sinus diameter adapted with the smaller root diameter. When the sinus diameter is 40 mm, the mechanical performance of the valve are good and it can well adapt with the relatively large range of aortic root dilation.

P2646Determinants of aortic root dilatation over time in hypertensive treated patients: the Campania Salute Network

Abstract Background We demonstrated that aortic root (AR) dilatation assessed by standardized difference between observed and predicted values is present at baseline in about 30% of treated hypertensive patients and predicts cardiovascular (CV) events independently of left ventricular (LV) hypertrophy (LVH). Purpose We investigate whether a CV phenotype exists predicting AR dilatation during follow-up of treated hypertensive patients. Methods 5301 hypertensive treated patients (age 53±11 years, 42% women) without prevalent CV disease and with normal ejection fraction (≥50%) were studied. AR dimension was measured in the parasternal long-axis view at the level of sinus of Valsalva in end-diastole, using the leading-edge to leading-edge method at first and last available echocardiograms. The z-score of AR dimension (AOz) was generated based on the difference between observed AR and predicted AR dimension, divided by sex-specific observed SD. Results Initial AOz exhibited a normal distribution and was correlated positively with age, male sex, systolic and diastolic blood pressure (BP), BMI, fasting glucose, and glomerular filtration rate (GFR, by EPI-CKD) and negatively with pulse pressure (PP) and cholesterol (all 0.0375th percentile of the AOz distribution). Similar to baseline, initial SVi and BMI remained the most potent covariates of the final AOz (both p&lt;0.0001), independently of significant effect of male sex, high diastolic BP, BMI, SVi, low PP, and low HDL-cholesterol. Variance inflation factor was &lt;2 in both regression models. Figure shows initial SVi in relation with AR at follow up. Conclusions We demonstrate that both volume (SVi) and pressure loads (diastolic BP) influence AR enlargement over time, AR dilatation is predictable in male obese patients with diastolic hypertension and other metabolic disturbances.

Early and late outcomes following aortic root enlargement: A multicenter propensity score–matched cohort analysis

ObjectiveThe safety and efficacy of aortic root enlargement (ARE) at the time of aortic valve replacement (AVR) remains unknown. The objective of this multicenter study was to compare AVR with ARE to AVR for early and late mortality and secondary safety outcomes. MethodsClinical and administrative databases in Ontario, Canada, were linked to obtain patients undergoing AVR with or without ARE from 2008 to 2017. Baseline characteristics were compared and 1:1 propensity score matching was performed to account for differences in baseline characteristics. Early outcomes were compared in the matched groups. Late mortality was compared using Kaplan-Meier survival curves and a Cox-proportional hazard model. ResultsSixteen thousand six hundred fifty-six patients undergoing AVR in 11 Ontario institutions were reviewed. Patients who underwent ARE were younger, nonurgent, more likely to be men and had lower rates of hypertension, ischemic heart disease, and congestive heart failure. Propensity score matching yielded similar groups for comparison, with 809 pairs for AVR versus AVR with ARE. There was no difference in 30-day mortality between AVR with ARE versus AVR (2.0% vs 2.1%; P = 1.00). Rates of chest reopening for bleeding, permanent pacemaker implantation, and blood transfusions were similar. Late mortality over 8 years was similar between AVR with ARE and AVR (P = .45). In a sensitivity analysis, results were similar in 525 pairs comparing AVR with coronary artery bypass grafting and ARE to AVR with coronary artery bypass grafting, except that chest reopening for bleeding was higher with AVR with coronary artery bypass grafting and ARE (7.2% vs 3.2%; P = .006). ConclusionsThe addition of ARE to isolated AVR can be safely performed to increase implanted prosthesis size without compromising early mortality. Additional studies with longer follow-up are necessary.

Aortic Stenosis and Small Aortic Annulus.

The presence of a small aortic annulus poses a considerable challenge in the management of patients with severe aortic stenosis, especially in elderly women, where it is a very frequent finding. The optimal approach for treating these patients remains controversial, and several surgical strategies such as aortic root enlargement, supra-annular stented prosthetic valves, stentless bioprosthesis, and sutureless bioprostheses have been proposed to improve valve hemodynamics and clinical outcomes. More recently, transcatheter aortic valve replacement has emerged as a valid alternative for the treatment of aortic stenosis and excellent valve hemodynamic results have been observed among patients with a small aortic annulus. The purpose of this review is to provide an overview of the current definition, prevalence, and clinical impact of small aortic annulus in patients with aortic stenosis, and evaluate the different therapeutic strategies currently available to improve valve hemodynamics and outcomes in this population.

Transcatheter Valve-in-Valve Vs Surgical Replacement of Failing Stented Aortic Biological Valves

This study directly compared outcomes of transcatheter aortic valve-in-valve insertion (TAVI-in-valve) with repeat surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) for failing stented aortic biological prostheses. We retrospectively reviewed the records of 350 consecutive patients who underwent repeat aortic valve replacement of failing stented aortic biological valve prostheses at our institution between November 2008 and May 2018. Operations included TAVI-in-valve in 90 patients (26%) and repeat SAVR in 260 patients (74%). Patient age was 74 years (interquartile range [IQR], 65-79 years), 100 patients (29%) were women, aortic valve internal diameter was 21 mm (IQR, 19-22), Society of Thoracic Surgeons predicted operative mortality risk was 4.1% (IQR, 2.3%-6.8%), and the interval to repeat operation was 7 years (IQR, 5-11 years). A 23-mm or smaller valve was inserted in 57 patients (63%) in the TAVI-in-valve group and in 170 (65%) in the SAVR group (P= .725). Aortic root enlargement was done in 45 patients (17%) in the SAVR group. Procedure-related complications were less in the TAVI-in-valve group (23% vs SAVR 59%, P < .001), whereas operative mortality was similar in both groups (2.2% vs SAVR 2.6%, P= 1.000). Severe patient-to-prosthesis mismatch was more common after TAVI-in-valve (44% vs SAVR 12%, P < .001). Median duration of follow-up was 2.1 years (IQR, 1.2-4.2 years). Multivariable analysis demonstrated no association between TAVI-in-valve and intermediate-term mortality (hazard ratio, 1.18; 95% confidence interval, 0.62 to 2.22; P= .612). TAVI-in-valve and repeat SAVR can be done with similar operative and intermediate-term mortality. SAVR results in better hemodynamic function and thus appears the preferred option.

Aortic valve opening and closure: the clover dynamics.

Systolic aortic root expansion is reported to facilitate valve opening, but the precise dynamics remain unknown. A sonometric study with a high data sampling rate (200 to 800 Hz) was conducted in an acute ovine model to better understand the timing, mechanisms, and shape of aortic valve opening and closure. Eighteen piezoelectric crystals were implanted in 8 sheep at each annular base, commissures, sinus of Valsalva, sinotubular junction, nodulus of Arantius, and ascending aorta (AA). Geometric changes were time related to pressures and flows. The aortic root was hemodynamically divided into left ventricular (LV) and aortic compartments situated, respectively, below and above the leaflets. During isovolumetric contraction (IVC), aortic root expansion started in the LV compartment, most likely due to volume redistribution in the LV outflow tract below the leaflets. This expansion initiated leaflet separation prior to ejection (2.1%±0.5% of total opening area). Aortic compartment expansion was delayed toward the end of IVC, likely related to volume redistribution above the leaflets due to accelerating aortic backflow toward the aortic valve and coronary flow reduction due to myocardial contraction. Maximum valve opening during the first third of ejection acquired a truncated cone shape [leaflet free edge area smaller than annular base area (-41.5%±5.5%)]. The distal orifice became clover shaped because the leaflet free edge area is larger than the commissural area by 16.3%±2.0%. Aortic valve opening is initiated prior to ejection related to delicate balance between LV, aortic root, and coronary dynamics. It is clover shaped at maximum opening in systole. A better understanding of these mechanisms should stimulate more physiological surgical approaches of valve repair and replacement.

Concomitant Annular Enlargement in Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve Replacement.

Aortic root enlargement may be necessary to implant adequately sized valves to avoid patient-prosthetic mismatch. Our objective was to assess the feasibility of annular enlargement during aortic valve replacement via a right anterior minithoracotomy. Twelve consecutive patients undergoing elective minimally invasive aortic valve replacement requiring annular enlargement over a 2-year period were retrospectively reviewed. A right anterior minithoracotomy was performed in all patients. Cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic crossclamp times, hospital length of stay, postoperative complications, rate of reoperation, echocardiographic data, and mortality were analyzed. Mean age was 66 years ± 14. Mean body mass index was 34 ± 7.8 kg/m2. All patients had normal preoperative ejection fractions. Indications for aortic valve replacement were severe (3/12, 25%) or critical (9/12, 75%) aortic stenosis due to degenerative aortic valve disease (10/12, 83%) and congenitally bicuspid aortic valve (2/12, 17%). Cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic crossclamp times were 144.7 ± 14.7 minutes and 111.7 ± 10.6 minutes, respectively. The median postoperative length of stay was 4 days. Peak and mean aortic valve gradients on postreplacement intraoperative transesophageal echocardiography were 14.5 ± 9.4 mmHg and 7.2 ± 4.2 mmHg, respectively, with no perivalvular leak on intraoperative or follow-up transthoracic echocardiogram. Postoperative transthoracic echocardiography had peak and mean aortic valve gradients of 12.1 ± 6.9 mmHg and 6.3 ± 3.7 mmHg, respectively. There were no postoperative mortalities. Freedom from reoperation was 100%. Annular enlargement performed during minimally invasive aortic valve replacement is feasible. Basic minimally invasive skills are recommended prior to instituting these more advanced techniques.

Aortic root enlargement to mitigate patient-prosthesis mismatch: do early adverse events justify reluctance?†.

Concomitant aortic root enlargement (ARE) at the time of surgical aortic valve replacement can be performed to avoid patient-prosthesis mismatch, an important predictor of adverse long-term outcome. We performed a single-centre, retrospective analysis of 4120 patients receiving isolated aortic valve replacement, of whom 171 (4%) had concomitant ARE between January 2005 and December 2015. The analysis of postoperative outcome and early mortality was performed. Owing to inequality of the groups, patients were matched 1:1. The mean age of all 4120 patients was 68.8 ± 10.5 years, and comorbidities were equally balanced after matching. The mean aortic cross-clamp time, cardiopulmonary bypass time and total operative time were prolonged by 19, 20 and 27 min in the ARE group, respectively. Early mortality was not statistically significantly different with 1.4% in the surgical aortic valve replacement and 1.8% in the ARE group. Postoperative complications were <5% in all matched 338 patients: bleeding (3% vs 3%), pericardial effusion (3.0% vs 4.2%), sternal instability (1.8% vs 0%) and sternal wound infection (3.0% vs 1.2%). A significant higher number of patients had respiratory failure after ARE (unmatched: 17.1% vs 9.9%, P < 0.001; matched: 18.3% vs 9.5%, P = 0.028). Factors independently associated with overall mortality were age [hazard ratio (HR) 1.71], chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (HR 1.47), diabetes (HR 1.82), atrial fibrillation (HR 2.14) and postoperative respiratory failure (HR 2.84). ARE can be performed safely in experienced centres with no significant increase in the risk of early postoperative surgical complications and early mortality. However, the surgeon and the intensive care unit team should be aware of an increased risk for postoperative respiratory failure in ARE patients.

Impact of surgical aortic root enlargement on the outcomes of aortic valve replacement: a meta-analysis of 13 174 patients

This study sought to evaluate the impact of surgical aortic root enlargement (ARE) on the perioperative outcomes of aortic valve replacement (AVR). Databases were searched for studies published until April 2018 to carry out a systematic review followed by meta-analysis of results. The search yielded 1468 studies for inclusion. Of these, 10 articles were analysed and their data extracted. A total of 13 174 patients (AVR with ARE: 2819 patients; AVR without ARE: 10355 patients) were included from studies published from 2002 to 2018. The total rate of ARE was 21.4%, varying in the studies from 5.7% to 26.3%. The overall odds ratio (OR) [95% confidence interval (CI)] for perioperative mortality showed a statistically significant difference between the groups (among 10 studies), with a higher risk in the 'AVR with ARE' group (OR 1.506, 95% CI 1.209-1.875; P < 0.001), but not when adjusted for isolated AVR + ARE without any concomitant procedures such as mitral valve surgery, coronary artery bypass surgery, etc. (OR 1.625, 95% CI 0.968-2.726; P = 0.066-among 6 studies). The 'AVR with ARE' group showed an overall lower risk of significant patient-prosthesis mismatch among 9 studies (OR 0.472, 95% CI 0.295-0.756; P = 0.002) and a higher overall difference in means of indexed effective orifice area among 10 studies (random-effect model: 0.06cm2/m2, 95% CI 0.029-0.103; P < 0.001). Surgical ARE seems to be associated with increased perioperative mortality but with lower risk of patient-prosthesis mismatch.

The Effect of Sinus Diameter on the Opening and Closing Performance of Aortic Valve Under the Expansion of Aortic Root

In order to explore the effect of aortic sinus diameter on aortic valve opening and closing performance in the case that aortic valve itself has no obvious disease and aortic root expands continuously. In this study, 20 groups of aortic root models with different aortic sinus and root diameters were constructed according to the size of clinical surgical guidance to simulate the possible expansion of aortic root at the later stage of operation. The valve sinus diameter DS were set to 32, 36, 40 and 44 mm, the aortic root diameter DA values were set to 26, 27, 28, 29 and 30 mm. Time-dependent pressure loads were applied to the valve and the vessel wall of the aortic and the ventricle side. Structural mechanics calculation by finite element software. The maximum stress, orifice area and contact force of the valve were analyzed to evaluate the valve opening and closing performance in dilated state. The orifice area of the valve was small when the DS=32 mm，DA=26, 27 mm and DS=36 mm,DA=26 mm. The valve was incompletely closed when the DS=32, 36 and 40 mm，DA =30 mm and DS =44 mm,DA = 29, 30 mm. The calculated values of the rest of the 12 models were within the normal range and the valve motion was normal. The results showed that the size of the aortic sinus affects the open and closed performance of the aortic valve. The smaller sinus diameter is adapted to the larger root diameter and the larger sinus diameter is adapted to the smaller root diameter. When the sinus diameter is 40 mm, it can well adapt to the relatively large range of root expansion.

The effect of conscientious intelligence on the ability to manage patient expectations: Example from a university hospital

Infective endocarditis (IE) is still associated with severe complications and poor prognosis. The surgery of IE has various technical difficulties due to severe infection, inflammation of heart tissue, and systemic effects, so controversies continue about the optimal timing of operation. This study presents the treatment approaches, early and late-term outcomes of IE patients, who underwent surgery.This retrospective descriptive study is conducted with 46 patients (31males) operated between 2002-2018. The demographics and preoperative, intraoperative and postoperative data of patients were analyzed from the clinical database and patient records. Emergency surgery was performed to 15 (32.26%) patients.Numbers of patients with mitral valve, aortic valve, and prosthetic valve endocarditis were 14, 25, 7 respectively. Aortic valve replacement (AVR), mitral valve replacement (MVR), MVR + AVR and mitral valve repair were performed in 24, 12, 8 and 2 patients, respectively. Additionally, pericardial patch repair (periannular abscess or damage (n=12), aorta-right atrial fistulae (n=3)), debulking of associated tricuspid valve vegetation (n=2), tricuspid De Vega annuloplasty (n=3), Bentall operation (n=1) and aortic root enlargement (n=5) were performed. The mean follow-up period and mortality rates were 24.86 ± 38.98 months, 13.04% respectively. The mean survival and reoperation-free time were 179.02 ± 13.78 and 203 ± 10.09 months, respectively. Patients can be managed appropriately with early diagnosis, aggressive medical and surgical treatment via a multidisciplinary approach with customized management according to guidelines in terms of individual characteristics. In cases of worsening hemodynamic status, uncontrolled infection, large and mobile vegetations surgery should be performed as soon as possible.

Clinical case: aortic valve replacement with aortic root reconstruction and coronary artery bypass grafting in 73-yo obese female patient

Aortic valve replacement is the second most common cardiac surgery procedure. Prosthesis-patient size mismatch can increase the incidence of adverse events postoperatively, it also leads to increased left ventricular load. Some studies describe the higher mortality in this group of patients. It is also proved that patients with severe aortic stenosis usually have impaired platelet aggregation and low von Willebrand factor causing bleeding disorders.&#x0D; We report a case of successful aortic valve replacement and aortic root enlargement (Nicks technique) combined with coronary artery bypass grafting (left internal mammary artery to the left anterior descending artery) and left atrial appendage resection in 73-y.o. obese female patient. Postoperative course was uneventful.

How to Control Subannular Hemorrhage during Aortic Root Enlarging Procedures.

We describe an effective suture technique to control the persistent subannular bleeding at the aortoventricular curtain in four patients with aortic stenosis and small annulus who underwent aortic root enlargement and patch reconstruction. This technique approximates the left atrial roof to the aortic root without the need for re-replacement of the aortic prosthesis or revision of the patch. Reintervention for aortic root, valve, or the residual aorta was not required.

Prévalence de la dilatation de l’aorte initiale et sa relation avec le remodelage ventriculaire gauche chez le patient congolais du Sud Kivu : étude transversale

AimStudies of the influence of aortic root remodelling on the left ventricle are scarce in sub Saharan Africa even though this region has got high prevalence of arterial hypertension which is positively related to sinuses of Valsalva diameter. The present work aims to determine the frequency of the proximal aortic root enlargement and to evaluate its association with the left ventricle structure and function respectively among Congolese patients. MethodFour hundreds and three (403) patients who realised transthoracic cardiac echography were recruited. The association between the proximal aortic root diameter and the left ventricular echocardiographic parameters was modelised in a multiple linear regression using the Stepwise method. ResultsAmong the 403 patients, 69.4% were hypertensive. A multivariate linear regression analysis showed correlations between the proximal aortic root diameter and the left ventricular mass (β=1.12; P=0.01), the left ventricular diastolic diameter (β=0.26, P=0.001) and the E/A ratio (β=−0.02; P<0.0001) respectively. The independent predictor of the proximal aortic root diameter were age (β=0.06, P=0.0006), duration of arterial hypertension (β=0.11, P=0.002) and diastolic blood pressure (β=0.03; P=0.02). The frequency of the proximal aortic root dilatation was 3.5%. ConclusionThese results infancies the importance of including the proximal aortic root dilatation as specific infra clinic risk factor among Congolese.