Coronéo extra-aortic annuloplasty ring could stabilize even the pulmonary autograft annulus in a Ross operation

The Ross procedure is an alternative technique to mechanical prosthesis and recent evidence suggests that it is associated with improved long-term survival and quality of life. However, late pulmonary autograft failure can occur more frequently in patients with significant dilation of the aortic annulus. Here, we present a technical modification of the Ross procedure--a case report of a patient who underwent a Ross procedure in which the gross dilation of the aortic annulus was reduced by implantation of an extra-aortic Coronéo annuloplasty ring. Before discharge, we performed a multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) to verify the effect of extra-aortic annuloplasty on the geometry of the neoaortic root and particularly on the dimension of the aortic annulus. The result of the MDCT demonstrated that the ring sits in the optimal position at the level of aortoventricular base and that aortic annulus is significantly reduced.