[Ventricular septal defect associated with aortic insufficiency: observations on 40 patients surgically treated].

Since 1970, forty patients with ventricular septal defect (VSD) and aortic insufficiency (AI) have undergone surgical treatment in our institution. In the majority of the patients (60%) the VSD was subcristal. In sixteen cases the aortic valve was replaced, whereas in 9 patients the valve was repaired and in 15 subjects simple closure of the VSD was deemed to be sufficient to correct the AI. There have been 2 hospital and 4 late deaths. The A.I. seems to be due to two different pathogenetic mechanisms in supra- and subcristal V.S.D., with the faster progression in the supracristal ones. With simple patch closure of the V.S.D. we had the best late results, good results were obtained with the plasty of the aortic leaflets while the worst late results were found in the group which had undergone aortic valve replacement. For this reason the Authors recommend surgical intervention as soon as AI shows up.