Ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysms - our surgical experience of 7 years

Aneurysms of sinuses of Valsalva are rare aortic anomalies having an incidence of 1.4-4.94% in the Asian population. Spontaneous rupture is the most common complication and ruptured aneurysms usually present with congestive cardiac failure.

Our study was aimed at evaluating the clinical profile of patients with ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysms (RSOVA) and their distribution, the surgical management and post-operative course.

We retrospectively identified 21 patients who presented to us with RSOVA over a period of 7 years and underwent surgery for the same.

RSOVA was more common in young males. Most cases involved the right coronary sinus (RCS) followed by the non-coronary sinus (NCS). The site of rupture was mostly the right ventricular outflow tract or the right atrium. All patients had a relatively asymptomatic post-operative course in the ward. On follow-up, most of the patients were symptom free.

Surgery on cardiopulmonary bypass with moderate hypothermia with excision of windsock deformity and patching of the rupture site is a safe method of treating ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysms. Patients need to be followed up regularly to monitor for the development of aortic regurgitation.