Traumatic aortic regurgitation: Aortic valvuloplasty controlled by aortoscopy

Traumatic aortic insufficiency is a rare occurrence after blunt chest traum a, and requires surgical treatment. Aortic valve replacement has been propo sed as the procedure of choice, but primary valve repair is being performed increasingly more often. In a plead for conservative surgery, we report a case of valvuloplasty that was controlled by intraoperative aortic endoscop y. When operative conditions permit aortic valve repair, this should be car ried out in order to avoid aortic valve replacement and its potential compl ications, especially in young patients with healthy valves. Replacement is the safest treatment for complex or multiple injuries of the aortic valve, however.