Surgical treatment and long-term results of aneurysms of Valsalva sinus in 24 cases

Twenty-four patients with aneurysm of Valsalva sinus were surgically repaired over a 23 year period (1965-1988). These patients were ranged 2 to 54 years of age and eleven of them were male. Rupture of aneurysm of Valsalva sinus was combined with aneurysm in 20 cases, ventricular septal defect in 12 cases and aortic regurgitation in 6 cases. At present, our routine operative procedure for ruptured aneurysm is direct closure of the defect with patch closure of aneurysm after resection of the aneurysm, but when the diameter of aneurysm is smaller than 7 mm, direct closure of the defect of the aneurysm was used. Only one patient after patch closure of ruptured sinus of Valsalva (Konno type I) required reoperation for penetration into left ventricle. This case might be avoided if patch was sutured to annulus of aortic valve. There were two operative death and one late death. The former died of cerebral infarction and low output syndrome, the latter died of sepsis. The mean follow-up period (+/- standard deviation) was 8.2 +/- 6.0 years. All patients that were followed were thirteen and found to be in New York Heart Association class I.