Bentall operation with valved homograft conduit

Lesions of the ascending aorta associated with aortic valve disease are usu ally treated by implanting a prosthetic valved conduit (Bentall procedure). in this report, we present our experience in which a valved homograft cond uit was used for the procedure. Six patients underwent a Bentall procedure with the use of a cryopreserved valved homograft conduit. Two of the patients had annuloaortic ectasia, 2 h ad Marian syndrome, and 1 had an atherosclerotic aneurysm of the aorta. One patient had severe aortic stenosis due to a bicuspid aortic valve, along w ith an aneurysm and localized dissection of the ascending aorta. In ail of the patients, the aortic annulus was substantially dilated, with accompanyi ng moderate-to-severe aortic regurgitation. A standard procedure was perfor med with moderate hypothermia, cardiopulmonary bypass, and aortic and bicav al cannulation. The ascending aorta and the aortic valve were replaced with a cryopreserved valved homograft conduit (aortic in 5 patients and pulmona ry in 1). The native coronary ostia were anastomosed directly to the homogr aft. Echocardiography, which was performed intraoperatively, before discharge fr om the hospital, and at follow-up visits ii to 36 months!, revealed good va lve function without dilatation of the homograft conduits. There was 1 late death due to Aspergillus fumigatus endocarditis, 6 months postoperatively. in 1 patient, magnetic resonance imaging performed at 24 months revealed n ormal caliber of the homograft conduit. We conclude that the Bentall procedure can be performed, safely and with ex cellent results, using cryopreserved homograft conduits.