Left Ventricular Remodeling after Pulmonary Autograft Replacement of the Aortic Valve (Ross Operation)
Juan J. Legarra PhD, Manuel Concha PhD, Jaime Casares MD, Carlos Merino PhD, Ignacio Muñoz MD, Pedro Alados MD

The impact of superior hemodynamics of pulmonary autograft on left ventricular function in 22 patients with at least three months of follow up was analyzed. Eleven patients had aortic stenosis (AS), and 11 had aortic insufficiency (AI). Operative mortality was 0%. Mean neoaortic maximal gradient was 7.85 ± 5.59 mmHg. The AS group showed a significant decrease in left ventricular posterior wall (LVPW) and interventricular septal (IVS) thicknesses at one and 18 months after surgery. The left ventricular end-diastolic internal dimension (LVIDd) also decreased one month after surgery (significant). In the AI group, LVIDd was decreased by one and 18 months after surgery. Left ventricular end-systolic internal dimension (LVIDs) decreased three months after surgery. Left ventricular mass index (LVMI) decreased significantly in both groups at one month after surgery; at 18 months, LVMI in the AS group was normal. The pulmonary autograft results in early normalization of left ventricular dimensions and improvement of left ventricular function.

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