A lesional classification to standardize surgical management of aortic insufficiency towards valve repair.
OBJECTIVE
Aortic valve repair is an alternative to valve replacement for treatment of chronic aortic insufficiency (AI). In order to standardize surgical management, we suggest a classification based on echocardiographic and operative analysis of valvular lesions.


METHODS
Classification was based on the retrospective analysis of chronic AI mechanisms of 781 adults operated on electively between 1997 and 2003.


RESULTS
AI was isolated (406 patients (52%)), associated with supra-coronary aneurysm (97 cases (12.4%)), or with aortic root aneurysm (278 patients (35.6%)). Etiologies of valvular or aortic lesions were respectively rheumatic, dystrophic and atheromatous in 17%, 73.6% and 9.4% of cases. Lesional classification is based on the analysis of chronic AI mechanisms defining type I with central jet (354 cases, 45.3%) and type II with eccentric jet (54.7%). Type Ia is defined as isolated dilation of sino-tubular junction (47 supra-coronary aneurysms), and type Ib as dilation of both sino-tubular junction and aortic annular base (233 root aneurysms, 74 isolated AI). The type II associates dilation of sino-tubular junction and annular base to a valvular lesion: IIa cusp prolapse (95 aneurysms, 200 isolated AI); IIb cusp retraction (132 rheumatic AI), IIc cusp tear (endocarditis, traumatic).


CONCLUSIONS
A lesional classification aims to standardize the surgical management of aortic valve repair: type Ia, by supra-coronary graft; type Ib, by subvalvular aortic annuloplasty associated with the aortic root replacement with a remodelling technique (root aneurysm) or double sub- and supravalvular annuloplasty (isolated AI). For chronic AI type II, aortic annuloplasty associated a remodelling technique or double sub- and supravalvular annuloplasty is combined with the treatment of the cusp lesion (cusp resuspension, cusp reconstruction with autologous pericardium).
Lansac
Emmanuel
E
Assistance Publique Hopitaux de Paris, The Department of Cardiovascular and Thoracic Surgery, Bichat and Pitie Salpetriere University Hospital, Paris, France. emmanuel.lansac@bch.aphp.fr
Di Centa
Isabelle
I
Raoux
François
F
Al Attar
Nawwar
N
Acar
Christophe
C
Joudinaud
Thomas
T
Raffoul
Richard
R
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000145:classification* / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D002404:Catheterization; D017548:Echocardiography, Transesophageal; D005260:Female; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012189:Retrospective Studies