A new aortic Dacron conduit for surgical treatment of aortic root pathology.
BACKGROUND
This article describes a new aortic Dacron conduit that has been designed for use in all types of surgery of the aortic root. Its use is aimed at facilitating the surgical procedure and obtaining a natural anatomical configuration of the aortic root.


METHODS
The modified Dacron conduit is obtained by adding a smaller piece of Dacron tube that is resilient in the horizontal plane to one end of a standard Dacron conduit. Upon implantation, this small piece of Dacron conduit will stretch in the horizontal plane creating pseudosinuses and a new sinotubular junction. This modified conduit has been used in 4 cases for a Bentall operation in association with a mechanical or a biological valve, in 4 cases in a Yacoub type of valve sparing procedure and in 1 case in a David type I of valve sparing procedure. All patients had aortic root aneurysm with severe aortic regurgitation. There were 6 males and 3 females with a mean age of 61 +/- 16 years. In most cases a 28 mm Dacron conduit was used.


RESULTS
All surgery was carried out without mortality or morbidity. The creation of pseudosinuses was confirmed intraoperatively by visual inspection. Transesophageal echocardiography in patients who had undergone the Bentall operation showed a normally functioning valve prosthesis with a suitably shaped aortic root. In patients who had undergone the valve sparing procedures it showed a competent aortic valve, the creation of pseudosinuses of normal shape and depth, and the presence of a well defined sinotubular junction. Angiography confirmed that the prosthetic aortic root perfectly resembled the normal root anatomy.


CONCLUSIONS
This modified new aortic root conduit appears to perfectly reproduce a normal root anatomy without the need of modifying the original techniques.
Division of Cardiac Surgery, Tor Vergata University of Rome, Italy. depauli@tin.it
R
R
De Paulis
G M
GM
De Matteis
P
P
Nardi
R
R
Scaffa
D F
DF
Colella
L
L
Chiarello
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates; D011474:Prosthesis Design
D011093:Polyethylene Terephthalates