[Plastic widening of the aorta associated with implantation of valvular prosthesis].

Widening of the supravalvular aorta by means of a lozenge-shaped dacron patch was performed in 9 cases of stenosis and/or aorta insufficiency. Marked improvement was noted in the 8 patients followed up: the transvalvular gradient was not significant and neither haemolytic anaemia nor hyperhaemolysis were present. This expedient is both useful and indicated in cases where the calibre of the descending aorta is small.