Aortic valve construction using pericardial tissue: short-term single-centre outcomes

Aortic valve construction using pericardial tissue has been known since the late 1960s. The procedure was re-introduced by Ozaki in 2010 and is currently used to treat specific aortic valve diseases. The exact sizing of the neo-cusps and the insertion of the commissures remain the keys to success when performing this procedure. We evaluated our experience using modified custom-made templates.

In this prospective single-centre study, we evaluated 52 consecutive patients who underwent aortic valve construction between September 2015 and March 2017 using either autologous (16 patients, 30.8%) or tissue-engineered pericardium (36 patients, 69.2%). Most patients (34, 65.4%) presented with aortic stenosis or endocarditis (5, 9.6%). Twenty patients had bicuspid and 5 had unicuspid valves. A modified sizing technique with specially designed templates was used. The primary end point was early death; the secondary end points were major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events, freedom from reoperation and overall mortality rate. Echocardiographic follow-up was performed intraoperatively and at 12-month intervals.

The mean age was 60 ± 14 years; 63.5% were men; and 34 (65.4%) patients had combined procedures. The mean cross-clamp time was 99 ± 17 min. Early outcomes included 1 stroke, 2 patients needing short-term dialysis and 1 death. During follow-up (mean 11.2 ± 4.8 months), trace aortic regurgitation was observed in 4 patients; the mean pressure gradient was 6.8 ± 2.9 mmHg. Three patients died later (of non-cardiac reasons), and 5 patients needed reoperation due to endocarditis.

Aortic valve construction using pericardial tissue could be an alternative in middle-age patients presenting with aortic valve disease in whom valve repair was not possible. The newly designed templates allow exact sizing of the neo-cusps and optimal commissure implantation; however, long-term follow-up in a larger cohort is warranted to assess the durability of the neo-valves.