Surgical Options for Physiological Treatment of Aortic Root Dilatation Either Isolated or Associated with Aortic Valve Disease

Abstract

Patients affected by severe aortic root pathology require an operation to replace the dilated aortic root and repair or replace the aortic valve, which is very frequently involved in the disease. Among the surgical options available for aortic root replacement, the Bentall operation and the David aortic valve reimplantation procedure are the most commonly used by surgeons. This article provides an overview of the Bio-Bentall and David operations. It illustrates their surgical details and discusses the correct indications for both procedures to achieve excellent long-term outcomes. Finally, the authors present their experience with the physiologic treatment of aortic root pathology by using stentless Bio-conduits and David reimplantation in a cohort of patients with long-term follow-up. A comparative analysis of early and late results along with an evaluation of possible benefits and drawbacks related to each technique concluded that both procedures were effective in correcting the aortic root pathology, and the results were adequate and stable over time. Since hemodynamic performance was more improved after the David operation, it should be preferred, whenever feasible, in younger and active patients.