Surgery for aortic regurgitation caused by Behcet's disease: A clinical study of 11 patients

Surgical treatment for aortic regurgitation (AR) caused by Behcet's disease is difficult due to the need to manipulate fragile, inflamed tissue. Valve detachment following aortic valve replacement (AVR) and suture detachment are serious postoperative complications. We investigated the surgical resul ts in 11 patients. Between 1981 and July 1999, 11 patients, 9 males and 2 f emales, with AR caused by Behcet's disease underwent surgery. The age of th ese patients ranged from 33 to 60 years (mean, 45 +/- 8 years). The surgica l procedures for AR were AVR in six patients and valved conduit operation i n five patients. No patient died during the hospital stay. In a follow-up p eriod ranging from 3 to 204 months (mean, 93 +/- 64 months) two patients di ed. Prosthetic valve detachment or suture detachment necessitating redo-ope ration occurred in four patients (36%) who then underwent a valved conduit procedure as a reoperation. Prosthetic valve detachment was higher in patie nts with AVR than in patients with a valved conduit operation. Valved condu it reconstruction is indicated in patients with AR caused by Behcet's disea se in whom prevention of valve detachment is difficult even by current valv e fixation methods.