Aortic root replacement with free-style stentless valve for aorto-left and right ventricular communication due to infective endocarditis; report of a case

Aortic root abscess remains a major determinant of both early and late results of surgical treatment of endocarditis. This complication rarely progresses to intracardiac shunt followed by cardiac failure. We report a surgical case of a 40-year-old man, who had been diagnosed as prosthetic valve endocarditis with aortic root abscess ruptured into left and right ventricle creating aorto-left and right ventricular communication. Because of complete debridment of infective and/or dead tissue, aortic root replacement was required. We used free-style stentless valve, xenograft, since homograft was not available at the time of operation. We believe that this prosthesis has easier handling and is more resistant to infection, therefore, it might be an option for infective endocarditis with aortic root abscess.