title: Sutureless Medtronic 3f Enable aortic valve replacement in a heavily calcified aortic root.
abstract: The case is reported of a surgical aortic valvular stenosis with a severely calcified ascending aortic root in a 76-year-old woman. The morphology and size of the aortic annulus were unsuitable for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI); thus, surgery was scheduled. Aortic calcifications allowed a transverse aortotomy 4 cm superior to the sinotubular junction, with a remote endoaortic view of the valve. A Medtronic 3f Enable sutureless bioprosthesis was then implanted after aortic annular decalcification. Sutureless bioprostheses are new tools that promise to reduce technical difficulties and cross-clamp times in minimally invasive aortic valve replacement surgery. In addition, sutureless techniques may have other possible advantages in special circumstances requiring full sternotomy access, such as in the present case.
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Surgery Unit, Saint-Etienne University Hospital, St-Etienne, France. marco.vola@univ-st-etienne.fr
authors.forename: Marco
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Vola
authors.forename: Jean-Francois
authors.initials: JF
authors.lastname: Fuzellier
authors.forename: Azarnoush
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Kasra
authors.forename: Jérôme
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Morel
authors.forename: Salvatore
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Campisi
authors.forename: Gianvito
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Ruggeri
authors.forename: Jean Pierre
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Favre
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000295:instrumentation / Q000379:methods; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D019060:Minimally Invasive Surgical Procedures / Q000379:methods; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D016896:Treatment Outcome