Fifteen-year experience with the Tirone David procedure in bicuspid aortic valve: A safe option

We evaluated short and midterm outcomes with use of aortic valve-sparing root replacement to treat bicuspid aortic valves (BAVs).

From December 2007 to January 2022, all patients with BAVs who underwent aortic root replacement using Tirone's procedure were included. This study based on department database information for retrospective and follow-up data.

Among 51 adults undergoing aortic root replacement using Tirone's procedure, the mean age was 47.4 ± 12.5 years, and most were men (92.2%). Three presented with a dysmorphic syndrome and one had Marfan's syndrome. All patients were alive at 30 days, and as of January 2022, 45 were alive, two were lost to follow-up, and there were four noncardiac deaths. Two patients had infectious endocarditis and needed a Bentall's procedure. One patient had a double biologic valve replacement in the context of severe mitral insufficiency with moderate aortic stenosis at 4.5 years postprocedure. Echocardiographic follow-up showed a left ventricular ejection fraction of 63 ± 7% (n = 36), V_max 2 ± 0.6 m/s (n = 17), and a mean gradient of 9.4 ± 5.4 mmHg (n = 27). No patients had grade 3 or 4 aortic regurgitation, one patient had grade 2, and four had grade 1.

Tirone's procedure is an option for BAV surgery, with good safety and outcomes, especially in younger patients.