Results of the Ross Operation in Rheumatic versus Non-rheumatic Aortic Valve Disease Frans A. A. Pieters MD, Zohair Al-Halees MD, Liv Hatle MD, Maie S. Shahid MD, Mohamed Al-Amri MD Outcome of the Ross operation was studied in 144 patients with a follow up of at least 18 months. Patients with either rheumatic or non-rheumatic etiology were compared. Among rheumatic patients, those who needed reoperation were compared with those who did not. Rheumatic patients were older, had more severe aortic regurgitation, more frequent significant mitral regurgitation and larger ventricles with poorer left ventricular function than non-rheumatic patients. They more frequently underwent reoperation for autograft failure. Preoperative predictors for reoperation in rheumatic patients were severe concomitant mitral regurgitation, followed by male gender and large indexed left ventricular outflow tract.

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