Katie L Losenno, Jill J Gelinas, Marjorie Johnson, Michael W A Chu
BACKGROUND: Aortic root enlargement (ARE) procedures are believed to allow implantation of larger valve prostheses; however, little evidence exists to support the specific efficacy of various techniques. METHODS: Using a cadaveric model, 20 adult (72.4 ± 15.3 years) hearts were stratified into 4 groups based on annular diameter: <20 mm, 20-22 mm, 22-24 mm, and >24 mm. Each heart underwent an aortic valve replacement following a Nicks, Manougian, aortoventriculoplasty and modified Bentall procedure, with appropriate reversals between procedures...
April 2013: Canadian Journal of Cardiology