[Early and mid-term evaluation of the pulmonary autograft function in adolescents and adults].

The aim of this study was to establish the indications to use of pulmonary autograft in the treatment of aortic valve disease in the adolescents and adults; early and mid-term an evaluation of autograft's function and function of left ventricle after Ross operation. In this procedure the patient's own pulmonary valve is removed together with the main trunk of the pulmonary artery and used to replace the aortic valve. Pulmonary homograft is used to reconstruction of right ventricular outflow tract. Between February 1994 and march 2001 in 1st Cardiac Surgery Department in 43 patients over 14 years of age Ross operation have performed. Mean age was 24.9 years. Indications for operation were predominant aortic stenosis in 29 patients, aortic incompetence in 7 patients, and complex aortic valve disease in 7 patients. Hospital mortality was 4.6%. In mid-term observation 41 patients left. All survivors remained in New York Heart Association functional class I and were free of complications and medications. In the all patients autograft's valve have functioned excellent (without or small regurgitation). Echocardiographic parameters of left ventricular function improved in the all patients. The indications to pulmonary autograft insertion in the adolescents and adults are small aortic ring, infective endocarditis and contraindications to anticoagulants using. The early and mid-term results confirm a high efficacy Ross operation in this age's group with low mortality. It completely relieves the abnormal loading conditions of the left ventricle, resulting in a complete recovery of left ventricular function.