Clinical Outcomes Following the Ross Procedure in Adults

Background Very few reports of long-term outcomes of patients who underwent the Ross procedure have been published. Objectives The authors reviewed their 25-year experience with the Ross procedure with the aim of defining very–long-term survival and factors associated with Ross-related failure. Methods Between January 1990 and December 2014, the Ross procedure was performed in 310 adults (mean age 40.8 years) at a single institution. All patients were prospectively added to a dedicated cardiac surgery registry. Complete post-operative clinical examination and history were obtained, and transthoracic echocardiography was performed according to a standardized protocol. There was no loss to follow-up. Median follow-up was 15.1 years and up to 25 years. Results Bicuspid aortic valve was diagnosed in 227 patients (73.2%), and the most common indication for surgery was aortic stenosis (n = 225 [72.6%]). Freedom from any Ross-related reintervention was 92.9% and 70.1% at 10 and 20 years, respectively. Independent risk factors for pulmonary autograft degeneration were pre-operative large aortic annulus (hazard ratio: 1.1; p = 0.01), pre-operative aortic insufficiency (hazard ratio: 2.7; p = 0.002), and concomitant replacement of the ascending aorta (hazard ratio: 7.7; p = 0.0003). There were 4 hospital deaths (1.3%), and overall survival at 10 and 20 years was 94.1% and 83.6%, respectively. Long-term survival was not significantly different in patients who required Ross-related reintervention (log-rank p = 0.70). However, compared with the general population, survival was significantly lower in patients following the Ross procedure when matched on age and sex (p Conclusions The Ross procedure was associated with excellent long-term valvular outcomes and survival, regardless of the need for reintervention. Adults presenting with aortic insufficiency or a dilated aortic annulus or ascending aorta were at greater risk for reintervention. Unlike previous reports, long-term survival was lower in Ross patients compared with matched subjects.