Left Ventricular Mass Regression after Aortic Valve Replacement with Cryolife-O’Brien Stentless Aortic Bioprosthesis
Sandro Gelsomino MD, Romeo Frassani MD, Giorgio Morocutti MD, Lorenzo Porreca MD, Vincenzo Tursi MD, Gianluca Masullo MD, Roberto Lumini MD, Ugolino Livi MD

The study aim was to assess the time course of left ventricular (LV) mass regression (LVMR) after aortic valve replacement with a Cryolife-OÕBrien stentless bioprosthesis, and to identify factors affecting late reduction of myocardial hypertrophy. In total, 113 patients (60 males, 73 females; mean age 70.9 ± 6.5 years) were studied by echocardiography preoperatively, at discharge, at six and 12 months postoperatively, and yearly thereafter. Most LVMR occurred within the first year, with further (not significant) reductions at later examinations. Male sex, arterial blood pressure, LV ejection fraction, NYHA functional class, atrial fibrillation, mean transvalvular gradient and prevalent aortic incompetence were factors influencing LVMR, independently of baseline effective orifice area and prosthesis size. These findings encourage the use of this stentless bioprosthesis.