title: Cusp shaving for concomitant mild to moderate rheumatic aortic insufficiency.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The aim of this study was to assess the early and mid-term results of patients who underwent cardiac operations due to cardiac pathologies other than aortic valve (AV) disease, but also had mild-to-moderate aortic valve insufficiency that was repaired during the same session.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 43 patients who underwent AV repair for mild-to-moderate aortic insufficiency between January 2003 and February 2009, in addition to the procedure performed for their main pathology necessitating the surgical intervention, were included in the present study. Cardiac function was evaluated, before and after the operation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Hospital mortality rate was 4.6% (two patients). After the operations, significant improvements were observed in aortic insufficiency (0.57 +/- 0.50 vs. 2.86 +/- 0.48, p = 0.001), New York Heart Association class (1.08 +/- 0.28 vs. 3.03 +/- 0.44, p = 0.001), and left atrial diameter (47.37 +/- 9.28 vs. 42.35 +/- 7.02; p = 0.001). However, left ventricular end diastolic and end-systolic diameters remained unchanged. Two patients were re-operated for AV disease during the follow-up period; thus, at five years, the rate of freedom from re-operation due to AV pathology was 90.7 +/- 6.3%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Cusp shaving is a feasible option that can be performed with low risk for concomitant aortic insufficiency.
authors.affiliation: Avrupa Safak Hastanesi, Istanbul, Turkey. htekumit@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Hayrettin
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tekumit
authors.forename: Ali Riza
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Cenal
authors.forename: Cenk
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tataroglu
authors.forename: Kemal
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Uzun
authors.forename: Adil
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Polat
authors.forename: Esat
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Akinci
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D006348:Cardiac Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*; D004452:Echocardiography; D005260:Female; D006305:Health Status Indicators; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D053208:Kaplan-Meier Estimate; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012214:Rheumatic Heart Disease / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000401:mortality / Q000601:surgery*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D014421:Turkey