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Background and Aim of the Study: The Ross operation as aortic valve replacement has undergone technical evolution. Originally described as a subcoronary implant, the full-root replacement technique is now more common worldwide. It remains unclear which of the two techniques has the better results. Hence, the hemodynamic performances of the two implantation methods, as applied by two experienced centers, were compared as part of the German Ross Registry., Methods: In total, 132 (Group 1, root replacement, mean age 40 +/- 14 years) and 249 (Group 2, subcoronary implant, mean age 48 +/- 14 years) consecutively operated patients were compared clinically and echocardiographically. Data were analyzed focusing on pulmonary autograft and homograft function at mid-term (2.78 +/- 1.89 versus 2.26 +/- 2.11 years)., Results: Echocardiography revealed autograft peak systolic gradients of 5.0 +/- 2.7 mmHg for Group 1 and 6.7 +/- 3.7 mmHg for Group 2 (p < 0.05), and an indexed effective orifice area (EOA) of 1.98 +/- 0.57 cm2/m2 and 1.64 +/- 0.43 cm2/m2 (p < 0.05), respectively. Homograft peak systolic gradients were 15.6 +/- 9.0 mmHg and 11.7 +/- 6.8 mmHg for Groups 1 and 2 (p < 0.05) respectively, and the indexed EOA with regard to the homograft was 1.08 +/- 0.49 cm2/m2 and 1.26 +/- 0.50 cm2/m2 (p < 0.05). Autograft insufficiency grade > I was present in 1.5% (2/132) of Group 1 and 2.8% (7/249) of Group 2 patients. Pulmonary insufficiency grade > I was 17.4% (23/132) for Group 1 and 4.8% (12/249) for Group 2 (p < 0.05)., Conclusion: Although both groups enjoyed excellent hemodynamics in the mid-term, the root replacement technique had the advantage of larger annulus diameters and greater aortic EOA. Clinically relevant autograft regurgitation in both groups was gratifyingly rare, and seemed to be independent of surgical technique. Long-term durability of the more demanding subcoronary technique versus the problems of larger dimensions of the sinus of Valsalva and sinotubular junction in the free-root technique, remains to be proven. Apparent differences in pulmonary homograft hemodynamics can most likely be explained by surgical differences, younger patients in Group 1, and by homograft variation.

Background and Aim of the Study: The Ross operation, introduced more than 30 years ago, has recently undergone several modifications to improve both technical feasibility and results. At the authors' institution, the Ross operation, performed as root replacement in all cases, was commenced in February 1995., Methods: A total of 225 patients (177 males, 48 females; mean age 39+/-15 years; range: 2 to 67 years) were operated on up to December 2000. Aortic regurgitation was present in 80 patients, stenosis in 69, and combined disease in 73; prostheses were replaced in three patients. Combined procedures were performed in 51 patients. Nine patients had active endocarditis. Follow up was 98% complete and totaled 471 patient-years., Results: There was no early mortality, and no thromboembolic or hemorrhagic events. Complications included prolonged ventilation in two patients, perioperative myocardial infarction in three, pacemaker implants in three and perioperative bleeding in six. One patient died at 25 months from hemoptysis, and one at five months of unknown cause. In the long term, four patients required reoperation due to autograft regurgitation (one autograft repair, three autograft replacements). Routine aortic annulus support, a lowered threshold in replacing all dilated ascending aorta and keeping the autograft short to the level of the sinotubular junction seems to have prevented further autograft failure. Pulmonary homograft stenosis led to reoperation in one patient. Six patients with elevated gradients are currently under observation. Echocardiography revealed autograft median peak gradients of 5.1+/-2.8 mmHg, pulmonary homograft gradients of 14.2+/-11.5 mmHg, and no significant regurgitation, except in one additional patient with recently diagnosed aortic insufficiency (grade >2)., Conclusion: Mid-term excellent hemodynamic results, low morbidity and reoperation requirement support the evolved root replacement technique and justify its further utilization.

Background: The pulmonary autograft operation has achieved broad acceptance and may be the ideal aortic valve substitute. Both the pulmonary autograft and the aortic homograft are more complicated procedures than prosthetic valve replacement. The trend to insert the pulmonary autograft as a root replacement rather than in the subcoronary position has achieved greater uniformity in the results, but there is still confusing diversity in opinions on technical details and anatomical dimensions. The importance of both size and shape mismatches between the three valves involved has received little attention. The valves often differ in diameter and in the shape of the recipient aortic annulus. This uncertainty and the diversity of opinions on essential technical details was disconcerting when we proceeded from aortic homograft-to-pulmonary autograft operations, this was compounded by only a single homograft being available for every operation as we have no homograft bank., Methods: We compared the hemodynamic results regarding various geometric mismatches. All operative details were the same and patients were studied at regular intervals. Comparisons were made in patients with mismatch between recipient aortic annulus and pulmonary autograft. Patients with a normal tricuspid aortic annulus were compared to those with either a circular redo prosthetic valve annulus or a bicuspid recipient annulus. Thirdly we compared the patients with plication of the aortic annulus to those with remodeling of the distal aorta. Lastly we compared mismatch between donor homograft and pulmonary autograft., Results: No influence of geometric mismatch between the three valves could be found on the results of the pulmonary autograft operation., Conclusions: Good results are obtainable without a painful learning curve if one keeps to certain surgical principles. It need not be a complicated operation and geometric mismatches between the three valves involved may be compensated for adequately.