Management of bicuspid aortic valve with or without involvement of ascending aorta and aortic root

Patients with a bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) constitute a heterogeneous population with variable clinical presentation and complications. More than 50% of the patients who require aortic valve replacement have a BAV, a condition that may be associated with dilation of ascending aorta and aortic insufficiency caused by cusp disease or aortic root pathology. Of the potential BAV-related complications, dilation of the aortic root and ascending aorta are among the most serious. The dilation of ascending aorta and aortic root have been the subject of controversy. Whereas some surgeons believe that the dilation of the aorta is caused by the hemodynamic properties of the BAV, others believe that the dilation of the aortic root is secondary to genetic defects associated with the BAV. Management of a BAV should be tailored to each patient's clinical condition. The surgical approach varies from aortic valve replacement to combined aortic valve and root replacement to aortic-valve-sparing root replacement.