Aortic valve endocarditis with aortic root abscess cavity: surgical treatment with aortic valve homograft

Aortic valve endocarditis with an aortic root abscess cavity was treated by a modification of the standard technique of aortic homograft implantation in 3 patients. At a mean follow-up of 35 months, all 3 patients were well without reoperation or signs of aortic incompetence. This technique may, in some cases, be an alternative to the more complex procedure of homograft aortic root replacement with coronary reimplantation.     

Trans-catheter aortic valve implantation after previous aortic homograft surgery

In patients with previous heart surgery, the operative risk is elevated during conventional aortic valve re-operations. Trans-catheter aortic valve implantation is a new method for the treatment of high-risk patients. Nevertheless, this new procedure carries potential risks in patients with previous homograft implantation in aortic position. Between April 2008 and February 2011, 345 consecutive patients (mean EuroSCORE (European System for Cardiac Operative Risk Evaluation): 38 ± 20%; mean Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS) Mortality Score: 19 ± 16%; mean age: 80 ± 8 years; 111 men and 234 women) underwent trans-apical aortic valve implantation. In three patients, previous aortic homograft implantation had been performed. Homograft degeneration causing combined valve stenosis and incompetence made re-operation necessary. In all three patients, the aortic valve could be implanted using the trans-apical approach, and the procedure was successful. In two patients, there was slight paravalvular leakage of the aortic prosthesis and the other patient had slight central leakage. Neither ostium obstruction nor mitral valve damage was observed. Trans-catheter valve implantation can be performed successfully after previous homograft implantation. Particular care should be taken to achieve optimal valve positioning, not to obstruct the ostium of the coronary vessels due to the changed anatomic situation and not to cause annulus rupture.     

NextStitch: double-stranded suture chain,a tool to optimize approximation of sutures in valve surgery with echocardiographic correlation

Suture technique for valve replacement surgery has often focused on decreasing the soft tissue injury that leads to pseudoaneurysm formation and associated latent infection. There is universal recognition that precise suture placement is essential for avoiding adverse sequelae while allowing flexibility during the implantation of the prosthesis. The use of a continuous chain of linked horizontal mattress sutures (NextStitch) has allowed maximal precision in the approximation of sutures within the valve annulus. The product was used in a series of consecutive mitral and aortic valve replacements, and typical echocardiographic images from each type of implantation are presented. Postoperative echocardiography images revealed that no perivalvular leaks occurred and that NextStitch did not obscure detailed interrogation or assessment of the valve prosthesis.     

Surgical technique of aortic valve replacement for small aortic annulus in elderly patients

Recent reports have shown that aortic valve replacement in elderly patients over 65 years with atherosclerotic aortic stenosis and a small aortic annulus is possible by using a small sized bioprosthesis (Carpentier-Edwards pericardial valve). Here we present out surgical technique. Firstly, the native calcified aortic valve was removed completely to gain total exposure of the surrounding aortic root and sinus of Valsalva like Bentall procedure. Secondly, a small sized bioprosthesis was implanted with intermittent noneverting mattress 2-0 sutures with spaghetti and small polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) felt. Aortic annulus is the dilated by inserting Hegar dilator sizing from 25 to 27 mm. Therefore, aortic valve replacement for small aortic annulus in intra- or supra-annular position should be easily accomplished. Good surgical results and hemodynamic state were achieved in 25 consecutive cases using this technique.     

Freehand homograft aortic valve replacement--the learning curve: a technical analysis of the first 31 patients

The technique for implanting the homograft aortic valve is significantly more complex than that of either the bioprosthetic or mechanical valve. During development of the procedure, errors of technique were committed; a critical analysis of the learning experience is presented. In the initial 31 patients, the following problems were encountered: mitral stenosis secondary to inadequate debulking of the homograft (1 patient), prolapse of a single homograft leaflet necessitating valve replacement three days later (1 patient), incorrect homograft orientation with torsion in a calcified aorta necessitating subsequent replacement (1 patient), and aortic sinus perforation (thawing injury) (1 patient). In addition, another 4 patients had diastolic murmurs thought to be secondary to inadequate tension setting of the homograft commissural posts. From this experience, several important technical considerations for homograft replacement of the aortic valve were noted: use of interrupted subannular sutures; careful inspection for aortic perforation (thawing); extensive trimming of the homograft septum and mitral remnant; orientation of the homograft to the recipient aorta to obtain the best commissural and sinus alignment; selection of another type of valve if the size of the recipient annulus is greater than 27 mm; retention of the homograft sinus, which orients to the recipient non-coronary sinus (for a calcified aorta); and exaggerated tension on the homograft commissural posts before initiation of the second suture line. There has been 1 hospital death and no late deaths. Adherence to rigid principles of technique has resulted in no further valve replacements and no incidences of valvular leakage at early or late follow-up.     

An aortic valve-sparing operation for patients with aortic incompetence and aneurysm of the ascending aorta.

A number of patients who require an operation for complications of annuloaortic ectasia, such as aortic incompetence or aneurysm of the aortic root (or both), have normal aortic valve leaflets. We have treated these patients by excising the aneurysmal portion of the ascending aorta and sinuses of Valsalva but by leaving the aortic valve leaflets and some arterial wall attached to the left ventricular outflow tract. The aortic valve is reimplanted inside a collagen-impregnated tubular Dacron graft, similar to what is done for implantation of an aortic valve homograft. The coronary arteries are also reimplanted. This operation was performed in 10 patients. All patients had annuloaortic ectasia and five had the stigmata of Marfan syndrome. Four patients had acute aortic dissection. There were no operative deaths, but one patient required composite replacement of the aortic valve and ascending aorta because of persistent aortic incompetence. Postoperative Doppler echocardiography revealed normal aortic valve function in six patients and mild incompetence in three. The preliminary results of this new operation are encouraging. Further investigation is necessary to establish the best size, shape, and type of material that should be used to replace the aortic root while preserving the aortic valve.     

Universal method for insertion of unstented aortic autografts, homografts, and xenografts.

Since the advent of homograft aortic valve replacement surgery in the early 1960s, this procedure has been plagued by early aortic insufficiency. This problem has not been observed with total aortic root replacement. From September 1985 to April 1991, a modified method was used in 25 of 39 consecutive patients having aortic root replacement--seven having autografts, 30 having homografts, and two having xenografts. This technique is a new approach for implanting unstented valves in the aortic position. It decreases the probability of early failure resulting from technical malalignment of the valve during implantation. Further, it avoids the need to destroy the recipient aortic root. Whether the valve being used is an autograft, homograft, or xenograft, this method standardizes the insertion technique regardless of the anatomy or disease. Salient features of the method include the following: a longitudinal aortotomy to the aortic anulus in the midportion of the noncoronary sinus; a proximal interrupted suture line with the valve oriented in the anatomic position; and circumferential running monofilament side-to-side approximation of the donor coronary ostia to the recipient coronary ostia. The two anterior commissures are left untethered by nonclosure of the recipient aortotomy. Preliminary results have been impressive, with follow-up ranging from 1 to 3 years in 30 of these patients. Postoperative aortic insufficiency was significant in only two cases. There has been no progression of aortic insufficiency detectable by diastolic murmur or echocardiogram. Late complications have been minimal, and the overall clinical results have been excellent.     

Aortic regurgitation in rheumatoid arthritis necessitating aortic valve replacement.

Four cases of patients with aortic incompetence secondary to rheumatoid arthritis are presented. All survived aortic surgery (two having bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement and two a homograft aortic root replacement). A review of the pathophysiology and pathology of this rare cause of aortic regurgitation is presented. A rationale for the choice of aortic valve prosthesis is discussed.     

A technique of snaring method for fitting a prosthetic valve into the annulus

BACKGROUND: Tourniquetting technique to fit a prosthetic valve (PV) into the annulus in valve replacement surgery has been previously reported. We modified the previously reported method and designed a simpler tying technique. PATIENTS: We performed 11 aortic (AVR: including four cases for calcified aortic stenosis (AS) with a small annulus and one cases for infective endocarditis with intramuscular abscess cavity), eight mitral valve replacements (MVR), and one tricuspid valve replacement (TVR: for corrected transposition of the great arteries). TECHNIQUES AND RESULTS: A PV was implanted using 2-0 polyester mattress sutures with a pledget. Each of the two tourniquets held a suture at the bottom of the annulus and at the opposite position to fit a PV. The sutures between each snare were tied down from the bottom to the top. In MVR, after seating of a PV with two tourniquets, we could make sure that no native tissue of any preserved mitral apparatus disturbed PV leaflet motion. In calcific AS, a PV had a good fitting into the annulus because of tourniquets applied to unseated part during tying sutures. In AVR for infective endocarditis, mattress sutures supported by a Teflon pledget were placed to close the abscess cavity. After snaring on one of these sutures, we tied down the sutures, ensuring that they did not cut through the friable tissues. In TVR, we found that native leaflets interfered with PV motion after seating down the prosthesis and those leaflets were resected before tying down the sutures. Postoperative transesophageal echocardiography showed no paravalvular leakage in any patients and excellent PV functions.     

Viable cryopreserved aortic homograft for aortic valve endocarditis and annular abscesses

Six consecutive patients with active aortic valve endocarditis, including 2 with extensive subannular aortic root abscess, were successfully treated with viable cryopreserved homograft aortic valve replacement. Two patients required extensive aortic root reconstruction with an appropriately trimmed aortic homograft to cover large abscess cavities. All patients showed resolution of infection with no perioperative mortality or clinically significant morbidity. Three patients had a minor degree of aortic insufficiency on postoperative echo-Doppler study. On follow-up at 6 to 48 months, all patients were in New York Heart Association functional class I. The resistance of the unstented homograft to infection makes it an attractive choice for patients requiring aortic valve replacement for active endocarditis. The results of surgical intervention in patients with extensive aortic root involvement may be further improved by the flexibility afforded by the homograft to be "custom-fit" to the abnormal aortic root and the ability to achieve secure abnormal aortic root and the ability to achieve secure valve fixation without use of prosthetic material.     

Comparative analysis of isolated aortic valve replacement with fascia lata and homograft valves

Thirty-eight consecutive patients who underwent isolated replacement of the aortic valve with fascia lata in 1970 were compared with a similar series of patients undergoing homograft replacement of the aortic valve. These series were well matched in number, age sex of patients, symptomatology, valvular disease, electrocardiographic and roentegenographic changes, and preoperative cardiac catheterization data. The mean follow-up time was 73 months in the fascia lata series and 69.1 months in the homograft series, and all the post-operative survivors were reviewed. The early and long-term results were similar of the two series, and there was no statistical difference in the operative and late mortality, the incidence of early and late diastolic murmurs, valve failure necessitating valve replacement, infective endocarditis, thromboembolism, over-all survival, and survival with an intact valve. It is concluded that the long-term results of valve replacement using these two tissues, in the aortic position, are similar and there is little to choose between the two types of valves. If fascia lata, as we believe, is no longer acceptable as a satisafactory valve substitute, then homograft valves are not acceptable either.     

Aortic valve replacement with frame-supported autologous fascia lata grafts. III. Haemodynamic and angiographic findings.

Thirty-two patients with a frame-supported, autologous, fascia lata graft implanted in the aortic annulus were investigated 11 to 36 months after the operation. The group comprised 7 patients with pure aortic stenosis, 10 with combined aortic stenosis and aortic incompetence and 15 with pure aortic incompetence. Six patients had concomitant mitral valve disease. The follow-up investigation included right heart and transseptal left heart catheterization, left ventricular angiocardiography through the transseptal route and a retrograde, supravalvular aortography with the cinétechnique. Cardiac output was essentially unchanged postoperatively. However, it had increased considerably in some patients in whom it was very low before the operation. Left ventricular systolic pressure decreased particularly in patients with pure aortic stenosis. Left ventricular enddiastolic pressure decreased from 12 to 7 mmHg at rest and from 25 to 18 mmHg during exercise. Left atrial (or pulmonary arterial wedge) mean pressure decreased from 14 to 2 mmHg at rest, and from 27 to 16 mmHg during exercise. In 76% of the patients a slight (grade I or II) central or paravalvular aortic regurgitation was observed on cinéangiograms. Regurgitation of grade III was found in one patient. Technical details in the construction of the valve, as well as structural changes in the fascia lata which may be responsible for stenosis and incompetence in some of these valves are discussed. Thus, although even patients with defective valves have shown considerable improvement, a close and continuous follow-up of these patients is necessary.     

Load to failure of common meniscal repair techniques: Effects of suture technique and suture material

Success of meniscal repair with early or immediate motion depends on the ability of the suture fixation to withstand the loads applied. Vertical and horizontal mattress suture techniques were tested using 2-0 Ethibond, and 0-PDS and 1-PDS sutures (Ethicon, Somerville, NJ). Mulberry knot technique was tested with 0-PDS and 1-PDS sutures. Twenty menisci (60 sutures) were tested for each suture material. Sutures were placed 3 to 4 mm from the peripheral edge of the meniscus with double barreled cannulas for vertical and horizontal mattress techniques or a spinal needle for the mulberry knot technique, reproducing clinical techniques of meniscal repair. Mechanical testing of suture fixation was performed to failure at a rate of 10 mm/min on a MTS material testing system (MTS Systems Corp. Minneapolis, MN). Suture pullouts were reported as the load displacement to failure from the inner fragment only, because clinical failure would ensue should a suture pull through the inner fragment of a tear. Vertical mattress technique with 1-PDS suture had significantly greater load to failure than any other combination (P < .05). Analysis of variance showed that the vertical mattress technique had statistically superior pullout strength (P < .0001) compared with the horizontal mattress and mulberry knot techniques, which were statistically similar. There were significant differences (P < .0001) between suture types, with 1-PDS proving best compared with 0-PDS, which was stronger than 2-0 Ethibond. Selection of suture material had the greatest impact on vertical mattress load to failure and was not important to the strength of the other techniques.     

Modification of the Bentall operation using the proximal double sewing technique without excision of leaflets

We present a report on reinforcement of the proximal anastomosis during the Bentall operation. The aortic wall was excised with a 5-mm remnant, and aortic valve leaflets were preserved. Interrupted horizontal mattress sutures (2-0 Polyestel) reinforced with pledgets were placed. The composite graft was placed at the intraannular position inside of the preserved leaflets. The aortic valve leaflets were then pasted to the sewing cuff with fibrin glue. A running suture with 4-0 monofilament was placed between the remnant of the aortic wall and the peripheral side of the sewing cuff wrapped with native aortic valve leaflets.     

Pulmonary homograft: should it be used in the aortic position?

OBJECTIVE: Retrospective analysis was performed to determine the suitability of pulmonary homograft as an aortic valve substitute. METHODS: From January 1994 through June 1999, 147 patients (mean age, 32.2 +/- 17.3 years) underwent aortic valve replacement with either an aortic homograft (group 1: n = 103, 25 fresh antibiotic preserved and 78 cryopreserved) or a pulmonary homograft (group 2: n = 44, 11 antibiotic preserved and 33 cryopreserved). In group 1 a scalloped subcoronary technique was used in 64 patients, and a root replacement technique was used in 39 patients. In group 2 the scalloped subcoronary technique was used in 34 patients, and the root replacement technique was used in 10 patients. RESULTS: There were 131 operative survivors (group 1 = 91; group 2 = 40). Follow-up ranged from 2 to 62 months. In group 1 none of the patients had significant aortic regurgitation during the hospital stay. Three patients (all having undergone the scalloped subcoronary technique) had moderate aortic regurgitation after 6 to 32 months. In group 2, 10 patients (9 having undergone the scalloped subcoronary technique and 1 having undergone the root replacement technique) developed significant regurgitation: 2 intraoperatively, 5 in the early postoperative period before discharge from the hospital, and 3 during late follow-up 6 to 12 months postoperatively. Among the various risk factors analyzed for overall homograft failure, use of a pulmonary homograft was the single independent predictor of valve failure (odds ratio, 8.6; 95% confidence interval, 1.9-39; P =.006). CONCLUSION: Pulmonary homograft, when inserted by means of a scalloped subcoronary technique, is not a suitable aortic valve substitute.     

Chronic hemolysis following mitral valve replacement. A comparative study of the Bj?rk-Shiley, composite-seat Starr-Edwards, and frame-mounted aortic homograft valves.

Hemolysis was assessed in 86 patients after mitral valve replacement. Twenty-four patients had mitral valve replacement with a Bj?rk-Shiley valve, 32 patients with a Starr-Edwards composite-seat valve, and 30 patients with an irradiated frame-mounted aortic homograft valve. Hemolysis was determined by red cell survival and autologous 51Cr-tagged red cells, LDH, serum haptoglobin, hemosiderinuria, reticulocyte count, red cell fragment count, and hemoglobin estimation. The degree of hemolysis was classified as mild, moderate, or severe. Thirty-five per cent (nine of 24) of the Bj?rk-Shiley group showed mild hemolysis, whereas 85 per cent (28 of 32) of the Starr-Edwards group had evidence of hemolysis-of these, a third were mild and the rest moderate. The homograft series did not show any comparable evidence of hemolysis. Statistical analysis of the parameters of the study comparing homograft with Bj?rk-Shiley valves showed no significant difference except in red cell survival, which showed a highly significant difference (p less than 0.001). Comparing homograft with Starr-Edwards valves, all parameters showed highly significant differences (p less than 0.001).     

Geometric mismatch between homograft (allograft) and native aortic root: a 14-year clinical experience.

OBJECTIVES: We evaluated the effect of homograft/native aortic root geometric matching and mismatching on valve survival and myocardial remodeling. METHODS: Between January 1, 1987 and March 2000, a total of 292 patients, aged 1.5-78 years (mean, 46.2 years), underwent freehand subcoronary aortic valve (AVR; n=207) and root (ARR; n=85) replacement with matched and mismatched cryopreserved homografts. All patients had pre- and postoperative two-dimensional Doppler echocardiographic studies. Two-hundred and forty-three survivors, excluding children with complete data on sizing, were followed at a total follow-up time of 1269 patient-years. Seventy percent received matched and 30% received mismatched aortic homografts. The homograft valve sizes ranged from 19 to 28 mm. RESULTS: Hospital death for elective first operation was 2.3%, and late death after a mean follow-up of 52 months was 7.9%. The patient survival at 14 years was 92+/-2%. By linear regression analysis, matched homografts were equal to or 1-2 mm less than the native aortic annulus (r(2)=0.73). The valve survival in patients with AVR and ARR was 72+/-4 and 80+/-8% at 14 years, respectively. The freedom from reoperation was 92+/-5, 77+/-4 and 48+/-10% at 14 years for matched, oversized and undersized homografts, respectively (P=0.001). The postoperative cardiac index of patients with 22 and 24 mm homografts was 3.8-4.1 l/m(2), and there was a regression of the left ventricular mass and end-diastolic diameter (P=0.001). CONCLUSIONS: The aortic homograft offers an excellent long-term clinical result. A mismatched homograft is a risk factor for postoperative aortic incompetence, reinfection with pseudoaneurysmal formation and reoperation for the freehand subcoronary implantation technique during the first 7 years of the postoperative period. It is prudent therefore to avoid mismatched homografts and use rather a properly sized stentless xenograft if a root replacement is not indicated.     

Aortic Valve Replacement with Biological Substitute

Abstract In the quest for an ideal aortic valve substitute, homografts and autografts are well-established options. We reviewed our results with homografts and autografts for aortic valve replacement during the last 5 years. From March 1992 through July 1997,189 patients (138 male and 51 female), age 8 months to 68 years (mean 31.0 2 4.2 years), underwent aortic valve replacement with a human biological substitute. Of these, 93 patients received a cryopreserved or antibiotic-preserved aortic/pulmonary homograft, whereas 96 patients underwent a Ross procedure. Etiology was rheumatic in 143 (75.6%) patients, bicuspid aortic valve in 40 (21.2%, Marfan's disease in 5 (2.6%), and myxomatous aortitis in 1 (0.5%). Among the homograft group, a scalloped subcoronary implantation technique was used in 54 patients, whereas 32 patients underwent root replacement. Five patients required aortic root and ascending aortia replacement for annuloaortic ectasia. In all patients undergoing the Ross procedure, a root replacement technique was used. Operative mortality was 7.4% (14 patients). Late mortality was 5.3% (10 patients). Follow-up ranged from 1 to 46 months postoperatively. In patients with homograft aortic valve replacement, 76 patients (91.5%) had trivial to mild aortic regurgitation, while 7 patients (8.4%) had important aortic regurgitation. In patients with the Ross procedure, 78 patients (89.6%) had trivial to mild regurgitation. Moderate to severe aortic regurgitation was present in 9 patients (10.3%). all of whom had rheumatic heart disease and were young (< 30 years at surgery). We conclude that homografts and autografts provide an excellent substitute for the diseased aortic valve. Young age (< 30 years) with rheumatic etiology is a major risk factor for early progressive aortic regurgitation in patients undergoing the Ross procedure.( J Card Surg 1998;13:1–8)     

Medium-term results of aortic valve replacement with cryopreserved homograft valves: importance of a domestic homograft valve bank

There are advantages to using aortic homografts as aortic valve replacements (AVR), particularly in patients with complex infective endocarditis. To determine the importance of a domestic homograft valve bank, our 23 surgical cases of homograft-AVR were reviewed. Since 2000, the Tissue Bank of the National Cardiovascular Center has supplied 23 aortic homograft valves for the treatment of complex aortic valve endocarditis. Fourteen of 23 patients had prosthetic valve endocarditis and 20 patients had an aortic annular abscess. The early mortality rate was 17% (4 patients), in all of whom prosthetic valve replacement had been performed previously. No recurrent endocarditis and no recurrent aortic regurgitation were noted at medium-term follow-up. An aortic homograft valve is the conduit of choice in cases of infective endocarditis and the importance of a domestic homograft valve bank should be recognized.     

The Timing of Operation in Valvular Insufficiency

The timing of operation is discussed for aortic, mitral, and combined aortic and mitral insufficiency. The effect of surgical mortality on selection is assessed on the basis of the Green Lane Hospital results for valve replacement in the current cardioplegic era. Particular attention is paid to the effect of the preoperative symptomatic status. The criteria for selection of the patient who is essentially asymptomatic are documented in detail. It is concluded that they differ, depending upon whether there is aortic incompetence, mitral incompetence, or incompetence of both valves. The effect of the type of valve used for replacement on case selection includes an up-to-date assessment of the results achieved with freehand aortic homograft valve replacement.