title: New vascular graft for simplification of the aortic valve reimplantation technique.
abstract: Achievement of optimal valve geometry in valve-sparing aortic root repairs is a prerequisite for favorable valve function and, therefore, the simplification of these procedures is of utmost importance. The aim of the study was to determine the feasibility of the new vascular graft for aortic valve reimplantation technique and evaluate the early and intermediate functional results. Five patients with different aortic root and valve pathologies (1 acute aortic dissection, 4 chronic aneurysms, and 1 bicuspid valve) of whom two patients suffered from severe (4+) aortic regurgitation, underwent valve-sparing aortic root repair using the reimplantation technique with the new graft. Three patients required, in addition to the aortic root repair, other procedures on the valve cusps. In all patients, optimal root restoration with no or slight valve insufficiency could be achieved, and these results remained unchanged over the follow-up time of up to two years. The new aortic root graft simplifies aortic root repair using the valve reimplantation technique, and despite its straight form, allows easy restoration of the aortic root, which fits perfectly with patients' anatomy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Surgery, Cardiovascular Center Bad Neustadt, 97616 Bad Neustadt, Germany. p.urbanski@kardiochirurg.de
authors.forename: Paul P
authors.initials: PP
authors.lastname: Urbanski
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Frank
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001807:Blood Vessel Prosthesis; D019917:Blood Vessel Prosthesis Implantation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000295:instrumentation*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D006349:Heart Valve Diseases / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D012092:Replantation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome