title: Aortic valve replacement within an unexpected porcelain aorta: the sutureless valve option.
abstract: Four patients referred for surgical treatment of aortic stenosis presented an unexpected extremely calcified (porcelain) ascending aorta at the intraoperative epiaortic ultrasonography scanning. In each patient, replacement of the aortic valve was successfully performed using a sutureless implantable bioprosthesis during a short period of hypothermic circulatory arrest. In the era of transcatheter aortic valve implantation procedures, the sutureless valve may be a valuable option for surgical units that do not dispose of transcatheter technology or a hybrid operative theatre.
authors.affiliation: Division of Cardiac Surgery, Ospedali Riuniti, Trieste, Italy.
authors.forename: Giuseppe
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Gatti
authors.forename: Bernardo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Benussi
authors.forename: Fulvio
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Camerini
authors.forename: Aniello
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Pappalardo
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001018:Aortic Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000601:surgery*; D001027:Aortography / Q000379:methods; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D005260:Female; D006324:Heart Arrest, Induced; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000295:instrumentation*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed; D016896:Treatment Outcome; D061205:Vascular Calcification / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis
keywords: Aortic calcification; Aortic valve; Bioprosthesis; Cerebral protection; Heart valve; Replacement