HOME HELP FEEDBACK SUBSCRIPTIONS ARCHIVE SEARCH TABLE OF CONTENTS		QUICK SEARCH:   [advanced] Author: Keyword(s): Year:  Vol:  Page:

This Article Full Text Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Author home page(s): Frank Langer Henning Lausberg Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Aicher, D. Articles by Schäfers, H.-J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Aicher, D. Articles by Schäfers, H.-J. Related Collections Related Article

J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg 2007;134:1533-1539
© 2007 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery

Surgery for Acquired Cardiovascular Disease

Cusp repair in aortic valve reconstruction: Does the technique affect stability?

Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University of Saarland Homburg/Saar, Germany.

Read at the Eighty-seventh Annual Meeting of The American Association for Thoracic Surgery, Washington, DC, May 5–9, 2007.

Received for publication April 6, 2007; revisions received August 9, 2007; accepted for publication August 27, 2007.

^_* Address for reprints: H.-J. Schäfers, MD, Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, University Hospital of Saarland, 66421 Homburg/Saar, Germany (Email: h-j.schaefers{at}uniklinikum-saarland.de).

Objective: Cusp prolapse may be an isolated cause of aortic regurgitation or may exist in conjunction with dilatation of the proximal aorta. Prolapse can be corrected by central plication, triangular resection, or pericardial patch implantation. We retrospectively analyzed our results with these techniques.

Methods: From October 1995 to December 2006, 604 patients (aged 3–86 years) underwent aortic valve repair. Cusp prolapse was found in 427 patients (246 tricuspid, 181 bicuspid). Prolapse was corrected by central plication (n = 275) or triangular resection (n = 80). A pericardial patch was implanted for pre-existing cusp defects or after excision of calcium (n = 72). One cusp was repaired in 198 patients; the remaining patients underwent repair of 2 (n = 189) or 3 cusps (n = 40). In 102 patients more than one technique was used, and the patients were allocated to the group of the assumedly more complex repair (central plication < triangular resection < pericardial patch plasty). Cumulative follow-up was 1238 patient-years (mean 35 ± 27 months).

Results: Hospital mortality was 2.6% (11/427). Actuarial freedom from aortic regurgitation of grade II or more at 5 years was 92% (central plication), 90% (triangular resection), and 90% (pericardial patch plasty). Thirteen patients were reoperated on, with prolapse as the most common reason for failure (n = 7); 6 underwent re-repair. Freedom from reoperation at 5 years was 95% (central plication), 94% (triangular resection), and 94% (pericardial patch plasty). Freedom from valve replacement at 5 years was 97% (central plication), 99% (triangular resection), and 98% (pericardial patch plasty).

Conclusions: In aortic valve repair, cusp prolapse can be treated reliably by central plication. In the presence of more complex disease, triangular resection or pericardial patch plasty may be used without compromising midterm durability.

Related Article

Discussion
J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. 2007 134: 1538-1539. [Extract] [Full Text] [PDF]