Replacement of the aortic valve and ascending aorta with an extended root stentless xenograft.
OBJECTIVE
We present an early series to determine the technical feasibility of simultaneous aortic valve and complete ascending aortic replacement using a longer stentless aortic xenograft, harvested with an extended root.


METHODS
The stentless xenograft valved conduits commercially available are too short for complete ascending aorta replacement, and usually a prosthetic tube graft is required distally.


RESULTS
To avoid this extra prosthetic conduit distally a number of stentless aortic xenografts with extended conduit were obtained from a supplier (Medtronic Inc). They were inserted in 6 elderly patients (67.8 +/- 7.1 years) who all required aortic valve and ascending aorta replacements owing to pathologic dilation.


CONCLUSIONS
In all cases an extra prosthetic conduit was avoided, and the length of the available biological conduit comfortably allowed total ascending aortic replacement without tension. The advantages therefore were one less suture line, cost saving regarding the prosthetic conduit, shorter cross-clamping time, and possibly shorter time spent on hemostasis.
Hemmer
Wolfgang B
WB
Department of Cardiac Surgery, Sana Herzchirurgische Klinik, Stuttgart, Germany. w.hemmer@sana-herzchirurgie.de
Botha
Cornelius A
CA
Böhm
Jürgen O
JO
Herrmann
Tobias
T
Starck
Christoph
C
Rein
Joachim-Gerd
JG
D000368:Aged; D001011:Aorta / Q000601:surgery*; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000601:surgery*; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011474:Prosthesis Design