The Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, Vol 72, 86-88, Copyright © 1976 by The American Association for Thoracic Surgery and The Western Thoracic Surgical Association
Patch aortoplasty for insertion of the porcine heterograft
JJ Lamberti
The porcine heterograft has been shown to be a very satisfactory
replacement for the diseased aortic valve. In certain cases, the advantage
of a low thromboembolism rate without anticoagulation must be weighed
against the suboptimal orifice size noted in the smallest heterografts. In
using the largest replacement possible, the surgeon may encounter
difficulty with closure of the aortotomy. Patch aortoplasty, as used in the
4 cases reported here, allows implantation of a larger heterograft. The
technique is simple and adds little time to the operation. In selected
cases, enlargement of the aortic root should result in better long-term
hemodynamic performance.