title: Major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events after the Ross procedure: a report from the German-Dutch Ross Registry.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  The purpose of the study is to report major cardiac and cerebrovascular events after the Ross procedure in the large adult and pediatric population of the German-Dutch Ross registry. These data could provide an additional basis for discussions among physicians and a source of information for patients.
  
  
  RESULTS
  One thousand six hundred twenty patients (1420 adults; 1211 male; mean age, 39.2±16.2 years) underwent a Ross procedure between 1988 and 2008. Follow-up was performed on an annual basis (median, 6.2 years; 10 747 patient-years). Early and late mortality were 1.2% (n=19) and 3.6% (n=58; 0.54%/patient-year), respectively. Ninety-three patients underwent 99 reinterventions on the autograft (0.92%/patient-year); 78 reinterventions in 63 patients on the pulmonary conduit were performed (0.73%/patient-year). Freedom from autograft or pulmonary conduit reoperation was 98.2%, 95.1%, and 89% at 1, 5, and 10 years, respectively. Preoperative aortic regurgitation and the root replacement technique without surgical autograft reinforcement were associated with a greater hazard for autograft reoperation. Major internal or external bleeding occurred in 17 (0.15%/patient-year), and a total of 38 patients had composite end point of thrombosis, embolism, or bleeding (0.35%/patient-year). Late endocarditis with medical (n=16) or surgical treatment (n=29) was observed in 38 patients (0.38%/patient-year). Freedom from any valve-related event was 94.9% at 1 year, 90.7% at 5 years, and 82.5% at 10 years.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although longer follow-up of patients who undergo Ross operation is needed, the present series confirms that the autograft procedure is a valid option to treat aortic valve disease in selected patients. The nonreinforced full root technique and preoperative aortic regurgitation are predictors for autograft failure and warrant further consideration. Clinical Trial Registration-URL: http://www.clinicaltrials.gov. Unique identifier: NCT00708409.
authors.affiliation: University of Luebeck, Department of Cardiac and Thoracic Vascular Surgery, Luebeck, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans-H
authors.initials: HH
authors.lastname: Sievers
authors.forename: Ulrich
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Stierle
authors.forename: Efstratios I
authors.initials: EI
authors.lastname: Charitos
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hanke
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Misfeld
authors.forename: J F
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Matthias Bechtel
authors.forename: Armin
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gorski
authors.forename: Ulrich F W
authors.initials: UF
authors.lastname: Franke
authors.forename: Bernhard
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Graf
authors.forename: Derek R
authors.initials: DR
authors.lastname: Robinson
authors.forename: Ad J J C
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Bogers
authors.forename: Ali
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dodge-Khatami
authors.forename: Juergen O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Boehm
authors.forename: Joachim G
authors.initials: JG
authors.lastname: Rein
authors.forename: Cornelius A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Botha
authors.forename: Ruediger
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lange
authors.forename: Juergen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Hoerer
authors.forename: Anton
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Moritz
authors.forename: Thorsten
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Wahlers
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Breuer
authors.forename: Katharina
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ferrari-Kuehne
authors.forename: Roland
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Hetzer
authors.forename: Michael
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Huebler
authors.forename: Gerhard
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ziemer
authors.forename: Johanna J M
authors.initials: JJ
authors.lastname: Takkenberg
authors.forename: Wolfgang
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hemmer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery*; D001022:Aortic Valve Insufficiency / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery*; D004696:Endocarditis / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005858:Germany; D006470:Hemorrhage / Q000209:etiology / Q000401:mortality; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009426:Netherlands; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery; D012042:Registries; D014182:Transplantation, Autologous