Aortic valve replacement using continuous suture technique in patients with aortic valve disease

Area of Science:

• Cardiac Surgery
• Cardiovascular Research
• Surgical Techniques

Background:

• The continuous suture (CS) technique offers advantages for aortic valve replacement (AVR), including speed and security.
• This study evaluated a simple CS technique for AVR, specifically omitting pledgets, to assess its surgical outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess the safety and efficacy of a simple continuous suture (CS) technique for aortic valve replacement (AVR).
• To compare surgical outcomes between the CS technique and the conventional interrupted suture (IS) technique for AVR.

Main Methods:

• A retrospective study of 123 patients undergoing AVR between 2007 and 2012.
• Patients were divided into an interrupted suture (IS) group (n=47) and a continuous suture (CS) group (n=76).
• Surgical outcomes, including complications and operative times, were compared between the two groups.

Main Results:

• Two hospital deaths (1.6%) occurred, unrelated to the suture technique.
• No significant differences in cardiopulmonary bypass or aortic cross-clamp times were observed between groups.
• The interrupted suture (IS) group experienced prosthetic endocarditis and perivalvular leak, requiring reoperation, while the continuous suture (CS) group had no surgical complications.

Conclusions:

• The simple continuous suture (CS) method is a safe and effective technique for aortic valve replacement (AVR).
• This technique may minimize surgical complications by avoiding the use of pledgets and braided sutures.
• The CS method is a valuable option for patients with aortic valve disease requiring AVR.