Rectification of the remnants of the leaflets--a new surgical technique to avoid periprosthetic leaks in aortic valve...

During the last 12 years, we have used a modified suture technique for aortic valve replacement in 450 patients in order to avoid periprosthetic leaks. There were 420 survivors, and reoperation for periprosthetic leaks was necessary in no instance. The "secret" of our technique consists of the uniform distribution of the tensile forces among all sutures, eliminating uneven stresses that favors tearing of the tissues or rupture of the stitches.