Seminars in thoracic and cardiovascular surgery. Pediatric cardiac surgery annual
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Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg Pediatr Card Surg Annu · Jan 2012
Aortic valve insufficiency: leaflet reconstruction techniques.
The introduction of effective and durable leaflet repair techniques have enabled repair of the regurgitant aortic valve. Aortic valve repair is favored to avoid the placement of a prosthesis that the patient will likely outgrow. Furthermore, repair has the potential to reduce the incidence of prosthesis-related complications, including endocarditis, thromboembolism, anticoagulant-related hemorrhage, and reoperation. ⋯ The key to successful leaflet repair for aortic insufficiency is a thorough understanding of the mechanism of dysfunction. We have developed a systematic approach to the assessment and repair of aortic insufficiency because of leaflet disease. The combination of leaflet repair and functional aortic annulus annuloplasty can restore the proper geometry of the aortic valve complex and allow for successful repair of aortic insufficiency caused by both restriction and prolapse.