title: Indications and limitations of aortic valve reconstruction.
abstract: To elucidate the value of conservative operation for aortic regurgitation, all consecutive patients operated on between July 1988 and July 1990 were reviewed. Of 251 patients with aortic regurgitation, 107 (42.6%) had nonprosthetic operation. The mean age was 23 years, and 90 patients (84.1%) were rheumatic. Two techniques were used: repair (annular and leaflet plasties, 69 cases) and cusp extension with glutaraldehyde-treated pericardium (25 bovine, 13 autologous). There were two hospital deaths (1.8%), both in the repair group, and no late deaths or embolic events. Only 5 patients (4.7%) were anticoagulated. In the repair group there were 12 reoperations, four (5.9%) due to aortic and eight to mitral dysfunction. In the cusp extension group there were two reoperations due to mitral dysfunction. Echocardiographic follow-up showed better results with cusp extension. In conclusion, conservative operation for aortic regurgitation is possible in a high percentage of young rheumatic patients and does not require anticoagulation. Cusp extension is more reliable than repair in terms of early results, although its long-term durability is not yet known.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Diseases, King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Duran
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Kumar
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Gometza
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: al Halees
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000601:surgery*; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012086:Reoperation