title: Right anterior minithoracotomy aortic valve replacement with a sutureless bioprosthesis: Early outcomes and 1-year follow-up from 2 European centers.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  A sutureless aortic valve can be inserted through a right anterior minithoracotomy (RAMT) with consistent decreased cross-clamping time and ease of insertion. We report the experience of RAMT implantation of the 3f Enable (Medtronic, Inc, Minneapolis, Minn) self-expanding sutureless bioprosthesis, performed in 2 European cardiac surgery centers.
  
  
  METHODS
  From September 2012 to April 2014, a total of 71 patients with severe aortic stenosis were selected to receive an aortic valve replacement via RAMT using the sutureless valve. Hemodynamic parameters and clinical outcome were assessed at discharge and up to 16 months postoperatively.
  
  
  RESULTS
  All the patients received the prosthesis with success. One conversion to median sternotomy was necessary, owing to severe pleural adhesions. Overall in-hospital mortality was 2.8%. Mean cardiopulmonary bypass and cross-clamping time were, respectively, 91 ± 29 minutes and 66 ± 19 minutes. Reclamping was necessary in 4 cases (5.6%). Early incidences of grade I or lower paravalvular leakages and pacemaker implantation were, respectively, 4.2% and 5.6%. No paravalvular leakage greater than grade I was registered. The mean follow-up time was 8.1 months; the mean transvalvular gradient was, at discharge and at 6-12 months, respectively, 10.7 ± 4.3 mm Hg and 9.6 ± 3.1 mm Hg. The degree of regurgitation remained stable in all cases. Freedom from all-cause and valve-related mortality was 97% and 99%, respectively, at 1 year.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Aortic valve replacement via RAMT with the 3f Enable valve is a reproducible procedure, as it provides satisfactory hemodynamics, and a low valve-related complication rate. Greater experience is needed to compare the performance of the 3f Enable valve with that of other sutureless valves implanted via the same RAMT procedure.
authors: Cardiovascular Surgery Unit, Cardiovascular Diseases Department, University Hospital, St-Etienne, France. Electronic address: marco.vola@univ-st-etienne.fr.
authors: Marco
authors: M
authors: Vola
authors: Cardiovascular Surgery Unit, Salus Hospital GVM Care & Research, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors: Alberto
authors: A
authors: Albertini
authors: Cardiovascular Surgery Unit, Cardiovascular Diseases Department, University Hospital, St-Etienne, France.
authors: Salvatore
authors: S
authors: Campisi
authors: Cardiovascular Surgery Unit, Salus Hospital GVM Care & Research, Reggio Emilia, Italy.
authors: Luca
authors: L
authors: Caprili
authors: Cardiovascular Surgery Unit, Cardiovascular Diseases Department, University Hospital, St-Etienne, France.
authors: Jean-François
authors: JF
authors: Fuzellier
authors: Cardiovascular Surgery Unit, Cardiovascular Diseases Department, University Hospital, St-Etienne, France.
authors: Jean-Pierre
authors: JP
authors: Favre
authors: Anesthesiology and Reanimation Department, University Hospital, St-Etienne, France.
authors: Jérôme
authors: J
authors: Morel
authors: Cardiology Unit, Cardiovascular Diseases Department, University Hospital, St-Etienne, France.
authors: Antoine
authors: A
authors: Gerbay
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001024:Aortic Valve Stenosis / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000401:mortality / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000601:surgery*; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D002315:Cardiopulmonary Bypass; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005602:France; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods* / Q000401:mortality; D006439:Hemodynamics; D017052:Hospital Mortality; D006801:Humans; D007558:Italy; D008297:Male; D061646:Operative Time; D011183:Postoperative Complications / Q000401:mortality; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D056346:Sternotomy; D013908:Thoracotomy / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000401:mortality; D013997:Time Factors; D016896:Treatment Outcome