Related Experiment Video
Updated: Oct 28, 2025
Standardized Technique of Aortic Valve Re-implantation for Valve-sparing Aortic Root Replacement
Published on: December 11, 2017
Sutureless aortic valve replacement in multivalve procedures
Alina Zubarevich1, Marcin Szczechowicz1, Konstantin Zhigalov1
1Department of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, West German Heart and Vascular Center, University of Duisburg-Essen, Essen, Germany.
Background:
Despite the rapid expansion of transcatheter approaches for aortic valve implantation, surgical aortic valve replacement remains the treatment of choice in patients presenting with multiple valvular heart disease. We sought to review our clinical experience with sutureless aortic valve replacement (SU-AVR) in the setting of multivalve procedures, addressing the postoperative outcomes and technical challenges.
Methods:
Between December 2019 and December 2020, 20 consecutive high-risk patients at our institution underwent SU-AVR and concomitant mitral valve procedure for various indications.
Results:
The mean age of the patients at operation was 72.6±9.3 years. Fifty five percent of the patients (n=11) presented with moderate to severe symptomatic aortic valve stenosis, while 35% (n=7) suffered from severe aortic regurgitation. All patients had concomitant moderate to severe mitral valve disease, including regurgitation in 95% (n=19) and stenosis in 25% (n=5). Mean logistic EuroSCORE was 34.3%±24.7%. Cardiopulmonary bypass and cross-clamp times were 101 (88.0-123) minutes and 67.5 (51.7-85.2) minutes, respectively. Optimal sutureless aortic valve prosthesis device success was achieved in 20 patients (100%). One patient (5%) required permanent pacemaker implantation. Thirty-day mortality was 10% and no strokes were detected.
Conclusions:
SU-AVR is a safe and feasible surgical alternative to conventional procedures in patients presenting with multiple valvular heart disease. It provides excellent hemodynamic performance with low risk of paravalvular leakage and low transvalvular gradients, whilst simplifying the surgical procedure. Precise sizing and positioning of the valve prostheses is crucial to ensure optimal postoperative outcome.
