title: Replacement of the aortic valve or root with a pulmonary autograft in children.
abstract: Between January 1967 and December 1988, 34 patients ranging in age from 3 to 18 years (mean, 14 +/- 3.6 years) underwent replacement of the aortic valve or root with their own pulmonary valve. The indication for operation was left ventricular outflow obstruction in 16 patients (47%), aortic regurgitation in 14 (41%), mixed aortic valve disease in 3 (9%), and failure of a previously implanted aortic homograft in 1 (3%). There were four early deaths, all before 1971, giving a hospital mortality of 11.8% (70% confidence interval, 6% to 20%). Surviving patients have been followed up a cumulative total of 214 patient-years, the longest period of observation being 16 years 8 months. Late mortality was 13.3% (70% confidence interval, 7% to 23%), and 4 other patients required removal of the pulmonary autograft for endocarditis. Actuarial rates at 16 years were 74% +/- 11% for freedom from reoperation on the left ventricular outflow tract, 80% +/- 10% for freedom from reoperation on the right ventricular outflow tract, and 77% +/- 10% for late survival. There was no instance of primary structural degeneration in the pulmonary autograft, and all surviving patients were in New York Heart Association functional class I without medication. This experience demonstrates that the pulmonary autograft can achieve good early and medium-term results in young patients. Should growth potential be realized, it might constitute the ideal biological valve for the left ventricular outflow in children.
authors.affiliation: National Heart Hospital, London, England.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gerosa
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: McKay
authors.forename: D N
authors.initials: DN
authors.lastname: Ross
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004697:Endocarditis, Bacterial / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011183:Postoperative Complications; D011664:Pulmonary Valve / Q000637:transplantation*; D012086:Reoperation; D015996:Survival Rate