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Objective: Bicuspid aortic valve (AV) patients with aortic regurgitation (AR) differ from tricuspid AV patients given younger age, greater left ventricle (LV) compliance, and more prevalent aortic stenosis (AS). Bicuspid AV-specific data to guide timing of AV replacement or repair are lacking. Methods: Adults with bicuspid AV and moderate or greater AR who underwent aortic valve replacement or repair at our center were studied. The presurgical echocardiogram, and echocardiograms within 3 years postoperatively were evaluated for LV geometry/function, and AV function. Semiquantitative AS/AR assessment was performed in all patients with adequate imaging. Results: One hundred thirty-five patients (85% men, aged 44.5 ± 15.9 years) were studied (63% pure AR, 37% mixed AS/AR). Following aortic valve replacement or repair, change in LV end-diastolic dimension and change in LV end-diastolic volume were associated with preoperative LV end-diastolic dimension (β = 0.62 Δcm/cm; 95% CI, 0.43-0.73 Δcm/cm; P

Patients with heart transplants who present with severe aortic stenosis may be deemed high-risk surgical candidates due to immunosuppression and multiple comorbid conditions. Appropriately selected patients may be successfully treated with transcatheter aortic valve replacement. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.)

Background: There continues to be debate regarding the superiority of transcatheter (TAVR) over surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR) in patients with bicuspid aortic valves (BAV). We aimed to compare outcomes during readmissions in elderly patients with BAV who underwent SAVR or TAVR., Methods: Patients 65 years or older with BAV who underwent TAVR or isolated SAVR were identified using the National Readmission Database from 2012 through 2018. We compared outcomes during readmissions within 90 days after discharge from the index surgery. Propensity score matching was performed to adjust the baseline differences., Results: During the study period, 8555 and 1081 elderly patients with BAV underwent SAVR and TAVR, respectively. The number of patients who underwent TAVR went up by 179 % from 2012 to 2018. Propensity score matching yielded 573 patients in each group. A total of 111 (19.4 %) in the SAVR group and 125 (21.8 %) in the TAVR group were readmitted within 90 days after the index surgery (p = .31). The mortality during the readmissions within 90 days was equivalent between the two groups (0.9 % in the SAVR group vs. 3.2 % in the TAVR group, p = .22). However, the median hospital cost was approximately doubled in the TAVR group during the readmission (18,250 dollars vs. 9310 dollars in the SAVR group, p < .001)., Conclusions: Readmission within 90 days was common in both groups. While the mortality during the readmissions after the surgery was equivalent between the two groups, hospital cost was significantly more expensive in the TAVR group., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: IS receives institutional research support from Abbott, Artivion, Atricure, Boston Scientific, Edwards Lifesciences, Medtronic, Terumo Aortic. None related to this manuscript., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

We report a case of a type A aortic dissection with extension into the main pulmonary artery through a sinus of Valsalva fistula. Echocardiography and computed tomographic angiography of the chest were performed and bicuspid aortic valve, hemopericardium, and dilatation of the aortic root were found. A Stanford type A dissection was seen, extending to the distal transverse thoracic aorta, and there was a communication between the dissection at the left sinus of Valsalva and the main pulmonary artery, where a dissection flap was detected at computed tomographic angiography. This case report reviews the rare diagnosis of pulmonary artery dissection, multimodality imaging findings, and a brief review of etiology and management.

Purpose: We sought to investigate aortic stenosis (AS) progression rate (pr) with the comparison between bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) and tricuspid aortic valve (TAV) morphology., Materials and Methods: We compared ASpr in patients with BAV and TAV examined by transthoracic echocardiography (TTE) in the years 2004-2019., Results: Data from 363 TTEs in 161 AS patients (median age 70 [61-77] years; 63% men; 25% with BAV; 20% with severe AS) performed at different time points (median time interval 10 months) was analyzed. We assessed changes of AS severity with peak velocity through aortic valve (Vmax), mean/peak pressure gradients (MG/PG), aortic valve area by planimetry and continuity equation (AVAce). We compared pr (defined as parameter change per year) between the BAV and the TAV groups. BAV patients showed faster ASpr with odds ratio 3.467 and 95% confidence intervals 1.36 to 8.86, moreover, expressed as a quicker AVAce decrease 0 (-0.4-0.0) in the BAV vs. 0 (-0.15 - 0.0) cm 2 /year in the TAV group, p ​= ​0.02. Furthermore, in BAV, female sex was associated with lower ASpr (p ​= ​0.01), and in the whole group a larger aortic diameter was a predictor of faster progression (p ​< ​0.001)., Conclusion: The ASpr, expressed as a decrease in the AVAce, was faster in BAV. Moreover, ASpr depends on both: valve morphology being faster in BAV and Vmax increase. Furthermore, the female sex was related to slower pace of AVA reduction in BAV subgroup whereas the larger baseline aortic diameter associated to faster AS progression in the whole studied group., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no conflict of interests., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Percutaneous aortic valve implantation in patients with bicuspid aortic valve has long been the subject of controversy or even regarded as contra-indicated. Recently, the availability of second-generation valves as well as an improved understanding of valve anatomy and sizing have resulted in outcomes which are equivalent to those achieved in tricuspid valves. This technique may, therefore, be proposed to patients at high or intermediate surgical risk, whose anatomy is suitable for TAVI., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Masson SAS.)

Background: Aortic stenosis may be related to coronary atherosclerosis in patients with tricuspid aortic valve, while aortic dilatation often is present in patients with bicuspid aortic valve. We sought to define associations among aortic stenosis, coronary atherosclerosis, and thoracic aortic aneurysm in patients with tricuspid or bicuspid aortic valve undergoing surgery for aortic stenosis in a large referral medical center., Methods: Two hundred seventy patients with severe aortic stenosis (tricuspid 175, bicuspid 95) undergoing surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) were studied., Results: Coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery plus AVR was required more often in tricuspid compared to bicuspid aortic valve [62.2% versus 26.3%; p<0.0001; odds ratio 4.5, confidence interval (CI) 2.5-8.3]. The incidence of coronary atherosclerosis requiring CABG in bicuspid aortic valve (26.3%) was greater than that expected in the general population for similar age. Thoracic aorta surgery due to aortic aneurysm plus AVR was performed more often in bicuspid compared to tricuspid aortic valve (27.3% versus 3.4%; p<0.0001; odds ratio 7.7, CI 3.0-22.1). The incidence of ascending aorta aneurysm requiring surgery, however, was not more common in tricuspid aortic valve (3.4%) to that expected in the general population for similar age., Conclusion: Incidence of coronary atherosclerosis is high in patients with aortic stenosis, both in those with tricuspid and bicuspid aortic valve. Incidence of ascending aortic aneurysm is high in patients with bicuspid, but not those with tricuspid aortic valve. These findings should be taken into consideration in the evaluation and management of patients with the aortic stenosis complex., (Copyright © 2015 Japanese College of Cardiology. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)