Survival and reoperation risk following bicuspid aortic valve-sparing root replacement.

BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY

The mid-term outcome of aortic valve-sparing root replacement, reimplanting native bicuspid versus tricuspid aortic valves, is unclear.

METHODS

The records of 84 consecutive patients (66 men, 18 women; mean age 46.6 years) who had undergone aortic valve-sparing root replacement using the reimplantation technique between January 1997 and July 2006, were reviewed. Among the patients, 26 (31%) had Marfan syndrome and 14 (17%) had a bicuspid aortic valve. The mean follow up period was 4.1 years.

RESULTS

There were three early deaths (4%) and five late deaths (6%). Late survival (>30 days) at five and eight years was 95% and 88%, respectively. The presence of significant coronary artery disease (p = 0.001), a lower preoperative ejection fraction (p = 0.03) and older age (p = 0.04) were the only univariate predictors of death. Freedom from moderate-severe or severe (grade 3 or 4) aortic valve regurgitation at one and five years was 91% and 77%, respectively. Ten patients (12%) required aortic valve reoperation at a mean of 3.4 years after surgery (3/14 bicuspid, 7/70 tricuspid); however, only one reoperation was required among patients undergoing the initial surgery after the year 2000. Freedom from aortic valve reoperation at one and five years was 95% and 83%, respectively. The predischarge degree of aortic valve regurgitation was the sole univariate factor associated with aortic valve reoperation (p = 0.008). Bicuspid valve morphology was not a predictor of either recurrent aortic valve regurgitation, nor of aortic valve reoperation.

CONCLUSION

Bicuspid aortic valves may be safely spared by reimplantation during replacement of the aortic root, with similar mid-term durability as for tricuspid aortic valves.