Aortic valve replacement through the transected aorta in a patient with aortic stenosis and a calcified ascending aorta.

This report describes a surgical approach of aortic valve replacement in a patient with a calcified ascending aorta, calcified aortic valve stenosis and coronary artery disease. The aortic valve was replaced with a 19 mm St. Jude Medical prosthetic valve through the transected aorta while the distal ascending aorta was cross-clamped at a narrow but not calcified band approximately 4.5 cm distal to the aortic anulus. These procedures were successfully done and no neurological deficit was found after surgery. The aortic valve replacement through the transected aorta may be one of the alternatives in selected patients with porcelain aortas and calcified aortic valves.