Aortic root replacement with a pulmonary autograft in young adults: medium-term results in 70 patients

Background. Pulmonary autograft aortic valve replacement has been introduced in our institution in selected adult patients in light of the known disadvantages and limitations of conventional prosthetic valves. Methods. We prospectively evaluated the use of the pulmonary autograft in a series of 70 young adults (31.2 ± 8.7 years, range 16 to 49 years) operated on from March 1992 to April 1997 with aortic root replacement only. Results. There were no in-hospital deaths and two noncardiac-related late deaths during follow-up of up to 62 months (mean 33 months). Thromboembolic complications were not observed. One patient required reoperation for infective endocarditis 4.3 years after surgery. Discharge echo-Doppler studies showed normal autograft and allograft valve function. Serial echo-Doppler studies showed no significant progression of aortic insufficiency and no dilatation of the autograft. A severe stenosis of the pulmonary allograft developed in 1 patient. Conclusion. Aortic root replacement with a pulmonary autograft, although more complex than conventional prosthetic valve replacement, is a safe, effective, and reproducible procedure in properly selected adult patients. Long-term results remain to be evaluated.