Technique of aortic valve replacement with a homograft: orthotopic replacement.

Homograft replacement of the aortic valve has become increasingly popular. The technique of insertion is essentially simple but a number of variations have developed over the years. The valve can be inserted in orthotopic (subcoronary) position or as a root replacement. The technique described here has developed over the past 28 years and links up with the related operation of pulmonary valve translocation (pulmonary autograft).