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Background: The objective was to provide initial data from our prospective valve-sparing aortic root replacement (V-SARR) registry and reasons for conversion to prosthetic aortic valve replacement., Methods: Six centers established an intention-to-treat-design V-SARR-registry (the German Aortic Root Repair Registry; first patient in October 2016); the main inclusion criterion was being scheduled for V-SARR as plan A. Clinical information, operative details, intraoperative valve/root measurements, and clinical and transthoracic echocardiography follow-up-data are documented., Results: Of a total of 449 patients, we report data for 401 (81% male; mean age 51 ± 14 years). Overall, 350 patients underwent V-SARR as scheduled, group A (David variants I 55%, III 2%, IV 13%, V 24%, V-Stanford 2%, and Yacoub remodeling 2%); and 51 were converted to aortic valve replacement (group B). Median follow-up was 11 months (range, 0 to 2.6 years), cumulative follow-up was 279 patient-years. In group B, there were fewer connective tissue disorders (6% vs 16%), fewer patients had left ventricular ejection fraction greater than 50% (60% vs 90%), more had bicuspid aortic valves (45% vs 28%), and fewer patients had preoperative none/trace aortic regurgitation (2% vs 20%). Fewer patients in group B had rare types of bicuspid aortic valve (fused N/L, R/N, 10% vs 30%) and more had unbalanced roots (56% vs 40%). Immediate postoperative aortic regurgitation was none/trace in 79% and mild in 20%. At 30 days, the mean transvalvular pressure gradient was 7 ± 5 mm Hg. None of the patients died in hospital; two strokes occurred. One patient needed early aortic valve replacement as redo surgery., Conclusions: The main factors causing surgeons to convert a planned V-SARR to aortic valve replacement include asymmetry of aortic valve/root, severity of aortic regurgitation, safety reasons (left ventricular ejection fraction), and bicuspid aortic valves (but not rare types). The German Aortic Root Repair Registry will help us identify the impact on long-term outcomes of preoperative and postoperative valvular anatomy and various V-SARR types., (Copyright © 2022 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The frequency of the CYP2D6B allele of the gene for debrisoquine 4-hydroxylase was studied in 115 patients with sporadic idiopathic Parkinson's disease, 55 of their healthy siblings, 63 patients with familial Parkinson's disease, 55 unaffected relatives, and 92 patients with Alzheimer's disease and 73 age matched healthy controls. By contrast with several previous studies, no significant variation of allele frequencies could be found between any of the groups studied. The results argue against a significant role of the CYP2D6 gene in the aetiology of sporadic and familial idiopathic parkinsonism in this patient population.