[Reconstruction of the normal right ventricle outflow tract in the Ross operation]

Now a day there are many surgical procedures that require intervention on the normal right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) and its reconstruction. We present the surgical anatomy of the pulmonary root in the normal RVOT and its reconstruction in the Ross operation in 13 patients operated on from February 1992 through February 1994. The surgical excision of the pulmonary valve was done and in order to keep right ventricle-pulmonary artery continuity (RV-PA), autologous pericardium tubes with bovine pericardium valve [done at the Instituto Nacional de Cardiología (INC)], were elaborated during the surgical procedure in all patients. The postoperative period and its clinical status was satisfactory in all cases, without transpulmonary gradient or regurgitation. We conclude that is important to know the surgical anatomy of the pulmonary root in order to avoid irreversible damage. In the other hand, it is worthy to know the different choices to reconstruct RVOT and its postoperative clinical course.