title: Compliance of the Valsalva graft's pseudosinuses at midterm follow-up with cardiovascular magnetic resonance.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  In previous studies, the Valsalva graft's compliance at the level of the Dacron pseudosinuses was found similar to that of normal sinuses shortly (2±1 months) after the operation. We sought to investigate with cardiac magnetic resonance the compliance of the Valsalva graft pseudosinuses at midterm follow-up.
  
  
  METHODS
  Seven patients (group A) and 7 age-matched controls (group B) were studied with steady-state free precession and phase-contrast cardiac magnetic resonance for aortic root and ascending aorta evaluation. Blood pressure was measured during phase-contrast acquisition to derive the following mechanical properties of the vascular prosthesis: pulsatility, compliance, distensibility, and elastic modulus.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Mean postoperative follow-up was 55±9.84 months. Mean age was 69.2±4.98 years in group A, and 65.7±7.16 years in group B. All the studied variables were coherent in showing a significant difference between the two groups, and between aortic root (skirt portion of the graft) and ascending aorta (tubular part of the graft) in group A. The presence of periaortic fibrosis did not show any correlation with the ascending aorta's mechanical properties.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  At midterm follow-up, the pseudosinuses compliance of the Valsalva graft is still appreciable and significantly greater than the tubular portion.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Department, I.R.C.C.S. Istituto Clinico Humanitas, Rozzano, University of Milan, School of Medicine, Milan, Italy.
authors.forename: Lorenzo
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Monti
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Mauri
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Balzarini
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Tarelli
authors.forename: Giorgio
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Brambilla
authors.forename: Ettore
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Vitali
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Ornaghi
authors.forename: Enrico
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Citterio
authors.forename: Fabrizio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Settepani
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001014:Aortic Aneurysm / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D015331:Cohort Studies; D003187:Compliance / Q000502:physiology; D055119:Elastic Modulus; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D012850:Sinus of Valsalva / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D016896:Treatment Outcome