Unicuspid aortic valve repair with bicuspidization in the paediatric population

Aortic stenosis or regurgitation that requires operations in children often results from unicuspid valve morphology. In all paediatric patients with this anomaly, we have performed unicuspid valve repair by bicuspidization, creating a new commissure via adding patch material. This study reviewed our experience with this procedure.

All patients with a unicuspid aortic valve who underwent bicuspidization at ≤18 years of age between 2003 and 2018 were evaluated. Autologous pericardium had initially been used for cusp augmentation. Since 2014, decellularized xenogeneic tissue or expanded polytetrafluoroethylene membrane has been applied.

There were 60 consecutive patients. The median operative age was 13 (1-18) years. Thirty patients had prior surgical or catheter valvuloplasties. Aortic regurgitation, aortic stenosis and their combination were present in 22, 11 and 27 patients, respectively. Autologous pericardium decellularized tissue and expanded polytetrafluoroethylene were used in 45, 11 and 4 patients, respectively, without intraoperative conversion to valve replacement. The overall survival was 96% at 10 years with 2 late deaths. Twenty patients underwent aortic valve reoperation due to patch degeneration (n = 11), suture dehiscence of the patch (n = 3), subaortic stenosis (n = 3) or other reasons (n = 3). Freedom from aortic valve reoperation was 73% and 50% at 5 and 10 years, respectively. Fifteen patients (25%) required valve replacement with pulmonary autograft (n = 14) or prosthesis (n = 1) 5.2 (0.2-13) years after bicuspidization at the age of 19 (10-32) years.

Bicuspidization is a safe and reproducible alternative to valve replacement with acceptable freedom from reoperation. It can serve as a bridge to valve replacement providing superior outcomes in adults.