Surgical treatment of supravalvular aortic stenosis

Five surgically treated cases of supravalvular aortic stenosis were reported. Preoperative cardiac catheterization revealed marked left ventricular-aortic pressure gradient ranged from 20 to 180 mmHg (median, 80.2 mmHg) and retrograde aortogram showed localized (hourglass type) supravalvular aortic stenosis in all cases. A traditional diamond shaped patch aortoplasty was used to relieve supravalvular aortic stenosis in 1 case and an extended aortoplasty was used in last 4 cases. Pressure gradients were almost disappeared postoperatively with good surgical result. The extended aortoplasty is considered to be more reasonable than the traditional aortoplasty in relieving constriction symmetrically and restoring normal relationship of the aortic valve cusps and coronary ostia. The operative indication and selection of the operative procedures for supravalvular aortic stenosis were briefly discussed.