title: Adjustable sinotubular junction for aortic valve reimplantation procedures.
abstract: Sinotubular junction size in aortic valve reimplantation procedures is usually predetermined on the basis of mathematical calculations and intraoperative measurements. We propose a new method for aortic valve reimplantation by which intraoperative measurements can be eliminated and sinotubular junction size adjusted after cross clamp removal to fit the patient's need. Aortic valve commissures are reimplanted in the expandable skirt of a Valsalva (Vascutek, Renfrewshire, Scotland) graft to realize an oversized sinotubular junction that is subsequently reduced to the proper size by wrapping, with Dacron rings of decreasing size, the neo-sinotubular ridge under transesophageal echocardiographic guidance.
authors.affiliation: Cardiothoracic Department, Azienda Ospedaliera Universitaria Pisana, Pisa, Italy. dmaselli@tiscali.it
authors.forename: Daniele
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Maselli
authors.forename: Fabio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Guarracino
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bajona
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Bellieni
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Minzioni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001011:Aorta; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery*; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D004867:Equipment Design; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012092:Replantation / Q000379:methods*; D025321:Surgery, Computer-Assisted