Aneurysms of the root and ascending aorta (AAA) and acute aortic dissections (AAD) are usually associated with valvular aortic insufficiency (VAI) in a large number of patients, caused by a variety of machanisms. In 30% to 50% of these cases the aortic leaflets are morphologically normal and can be spared using the technique of reconstruction of the root and ascending aorta plus the reimplantation of the aortic valve and the coronary arteries in a composite Dacron and bovine pericardium tubular graft. This technique, described and proposed by Tirone David, avoids valve replacement and, in some cases of AAA, may definitely correct the mechanisms involved in the disease. From November 1994 to December 1995, 11 patients were operated upon this technique and divided in two main groups: Group I - AAD, 5 patients, all with Type I DeBakey, 4 with acute and 1 with chronic dissection; Group II - AAA, 6 patients, the majority being over 50 years old. The surgical technique, concerning the Group I, included profound hypothermia (all cases), total circulatory arrest and retrograde cerebral perfusion, (3 cases). In Group II we used moderate hypothermia at 28°C. In both groups the myocardial protection was performed with intermittent antegrade isothermic blood cardioplegia delivered each 10 minutes, associated with iced saline into the pericardium. There were two operative deaths (18.2%) and one late death (9%), all from the Group I, and 9 were discharged from hospital (81.8%) with a maximum follow-up period of 13 months. All patients (9/11) had colour ecodopplercardiographic evaluation before discharge and none of them had aortic valvular dysfunction. The Eco studies were repeated for all surviving patients (8/11) in December 1995, and the results are shown in this paper. We conclude that the aortic valve-sparing operation described by Tirone David is a very reliable and effective method of treatment of the VAI associated with AAA and AAD. Although the number of patients is small and the follow-up period is short in this series, we believe that the efforts to avoid valve replacement in these patients is encouraging for both, the surgeon and the patient, in carefully selected cases.
Aortic valve insufficiency; Aortic aneurysm; Aneurysm; Aneurysm; Aortic valve insufficiency; Aortic aneurysm; Aneurysm, dissecting
