[Aortic root replacement by cryopreserved homograft for prosthetic valve detachment case due to aortitis]

We present a surgical case of a 35-year-old man with aortitis. He had been performed the reconstruction of the right common carotid artery with a saphenous vein graft at 23 years old for his ruptured aneurysm by aortitis. The aortic valve replacement and CABG (LITA to LAD, SVG to D1 and SVG to RCA) were performed for aortic regurgitation and aneurysms of coronary arteries two years ago. The diastolic murmur was first heard at 18 months after the operation. The echocardiography on admission showed an abnormal movement of the prosthetic valve with perivalvular leakage. At the second operation, the valve dehiscence was observed. Although the tissues around the dehiscence was friable and edematous, there were no signs of vegetation nor abscess formation. His aortic root was replaced with a cryopreserved aortic allograft conduit. His postoperative course was uneventful and aortography revealed neither aortic regurgitation nor stenosis of the coronary artery or SVGs. We think the softness of the allograft valve ring is favorable in valve detachment cases due to not only infection but also aortitis, to prevent redetachment.