Aortic Valve Replacement Above the Aortic Annulus (SA-AVR) With the Carpentier-Edwards Magna-Ease Bioprosthesis

Overview

Surgical valve replacement is commonly performed in patients with severe aortic valve disease. In small aortic annulus, implantation of bioprosthetic valves can be associated with limited functional capacity. To avoid this condition, we changed our surgical technique to implant a larger bioprosthesis. Briefly, the prosthesis is sutured to the aortic annulus along the left and right coronary sinuses, and in a supraannular position along the noncoronary sinus, therefore allowing us to insert a prosthetic valve with a one-size larger diameter than the native aortic annulus.

Surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) is recommended for severe aortic valve disease. Bioprosthesis remains the substitute of choice for elderly patients. However, it may be associated with patient-prosthesis mismatch particularly for patients with small aortic annulus. Moreover, "valve-in-valve" transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has become a suitable therapeutic option for bioprosthesis structural degeneration, especially in patients with high surgical risk. It is therefore of great importance to implant the widest bioprosthesis as possible at the first AVR. The investigators report a surgical technique allowing the implantation of a larger bioprosthesis in patients with small aortic annulus: the supra-annular aortic valve replacement (SA-AVR) above the aortic annulus. The investigators analyzed the postoperative outcomes of the SA-AVR technique using the Perimount Magna Ease (Carpentier-Edwards, Irvine, California) bioprosthesis.

Conditions