Ross procedure in infants and toddlers followed into childhood

Ismee A Williams1, Jan M Quaegebeur, Daphne T Hsu

  • 1Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of New York, New York, NY 10032, USA. iib6@columbia.edu

Circulation
|September 15, 2005
PubMed

Insights

The Ross procedure is effective for infant aortic stenosis, with no autograft reinterventions needed. Homograft reintervention occurred in 13% within 8 years, and autograft growth stabilized after the first year.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatric Cardiac Surgery
  • Congenital Heart Disease
  • Aortic Valve Repair

Background:

  • The Ross procedure is a common treatment for aortic valve disease in children and adults.
  • Limited data exist on outcomes for infants undergoing the Ross procedure, including survival, reintervention, and autograft function.
  • Infants often present with complex congenital aortic stenosis requiring surgical intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To evaluate the outcomes of the Ross procedure in infants with congenital aortic stenosis.
  • To assess survival rates, need for reintervention, and autograft growth and function in this pediatric population.
  • To provide data on the long-term efficacy and safety of the Ross procedure in very young patients.

Main Methods:

  • Retrospective analysis of 27 infants (<18 months) who underwent the Ross procedure for congenital aortic stenosis.
  • Detailed review of patient demographics, associated cardiac lesions, and surgical procedures.
  • Long-term follow-up including clinical assessment and echocardiography to evaluate autograft and homograft status, reintervention rates, and survival.

Main Results:

  • Three early deaths occurred; no late deaths were observed in the median 6.1-year follow-up.
  • Freedom from homograft reintervention for dysfunction was 87% at 8 years; freedom from autograft reintervention was 100%.
  • Autograft growth was observed, with z scores increasing significantly in the first year and stabilizing thereafter; no significant autograft insufficiency or gradient was noted in most patients.

Conclusions:

  • The Ross procedure is an effective treatment for relieving aortic stenosis in infants.
  • While homograft reintervention is necessary in a subset of patients, the autograft demonstrates excellent durability and growth potential.
  • The findings support the use of the Ross procedure in infants, highlighting favorable autograft development and low reintervention rates for the autograft itself.
Abstract