• Ismail Bouhout, Sameer Singh, Stephanie Nguyen, Alice Vinogradsky, Connor Barrett, David Kalfa, Emile Bacha, and Andrew Goldstone.
• Section of Pediatric and Congenital and Cardiac Surgery, Division of Cardiac, Thoracic, and Vascular Surgery, Department of Surgery, Morgan Stanley Children Hospital-New York Presbyterian, Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons, New York, NY.
• J. Thorac. Cardiovasc. Surg. 2024 Mar 1; 167 (3): 11231131.e21123-1131.e2.

ObjectivePrimary aortic insufficiency (AI) is a risk factor for autograft reintervention in adults undergoing the Ross procedure. We sought to examine the influence of preoperative AI on autograft durability in children and adolescents.MethodsFrom 1993 to 2020, 125 consecutive patients between ages 1 and 18 underwent a Ross procedure. The autograft was implanted using a full-root technique in 123 (98.4%) and included in a polyethelene terephthalate graft in 2 (1.6%). Patients with aortic stenosis (aortic stenosis group) (n = 85) were retrospectively compared with those with AI or mixed disease (AI group) (n = 40). Median length of follow-up was 8.2 years (interquartile range, 3.3-15.4 years). The primary end point was the incidence of severe AI or autograft reintervention. Secondary end points included changes in autograft dimensions analyzed using mixed-effect models.ResultsThe incidence of severe AI or autograft reintervention was 39.0% ± 13.0% in the AI group and 8.8% ± 4.4% in the aortic stenosis group at 15 years (P = .02). Annulus z scores increased in both aortic stenosis and AI groups over time (P < .001). However, the annulus dilated at a faster rate in the AI group (absolute difference, 3.8 ± 2.0 vs 2.5 ± 1.7; P = .03). Sinus of Valsalva z scores increased in both groups as well (P < .001), but at similar rates over time (P = .11).ConclusionsChildren and adolescents with AI undergoing the Ross procedure have higher rates of autograft failure. Patients with preoperative AI have more pronounced dilatation at the annulus. Akin to adults, a surgical aortic annulus stabilization technique that modulates growth is needed in children.Copyright © 2023 The American Association for Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

23 keywords...

hide…