Aortic Valve Repair / 한양의대학술지

ABSTRACT

Repair of the aortic valve has received considerably less attention than repair of the mitral or tricuspid valves. Reasons for this may include the greater incidence of stenosis in the aortic valve relative to insufficiency, the degenerative processes that lead to valvular dysfunction reducing the number of potentially repairable valves, and the presence of a wider variety of valve substitutes with lower thromboembolic potential and greater longevity than for the mitral position. Furthermore, the functional structure and redundancy of the mitral and tricuspid valves may be more amenable to plastic techniques. Most surgeons treat all aortic valve pathology with a replacement. In part, this management strategy is justified by the excellent long-term results with available prostheses. Since valve replacement in the younger adult has the inherent problems associated with anticoagulation and/or prosthesis durability, repair, if durable, has the potential for a good solution in this patient population. We reviewed the surgical indications, techniques, clinical results, and current status of aortic valve repair.