title: Valve surgery in octogenarians with a "porcelain" aorta and aortic insufficiency.
abstract: We report the technique of balloon occlusion of the ascending aorta in two patients requiring valve operations. In the first patient, it provided a rapid solution to unexpected and potentially catastrophic severe aortic insufficiency (AI) with the initiation of cardiopulmonary bypass in a patient who required aortic valve replacement using deep hypothermic circulatory arrest due to a "porcelain" aorta. In the second patient, it allowed for a routine mitral valve repair to be performed by providing aortic occlusion in the setting of AI and avoiding the devastating consequences of cross-clamping a "porcelain" aorta.
authors.affiliation: The Division of Cardiac Surgery, Brigham & Women's Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts 02115, USA.
authors.forename: James P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Greelish
authors.forename: Edward G
authors.initials: EG
authors.lastname: Soltesz
authors.forename: John G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Byrne
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001011:Aorta / Q000601:surgery*; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000473:pathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000601:surgery*; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D006324:Heart Arrest, Induced; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; D006801:Humans; D007036:Hypothermia, Induced; D008297:Male; D008944:Mitral Valve Insufficiency / Q000601:surgery