The Ross operation: mid-term results

Transplantation of cryopreserved human heart valves in Europe: 30 years of banking in Brussels and future perspectives

For over 30 years, our TE has processed, controlled for quality and distributed cryopreserved allograft valves for human application. We present a review of this activity and future perspectives of cardiovascular tissue banking. The donor age and medical/behavioral history are in compliance with the regulations of the EUMS. Allograft morphology and function are evaluated in a class A cleanroom. Tests for viral/bacterial infection, histological control of structure/infection/malignancy and control-rate cryopreservation are performed. A total of 7562 hearts were sent to our TE, whereas 7290 valves (pulmonary, aortic and mitral) were transplanted. The donations increased over time: 1934, 2566 and 3062 hearts were donated during the first, second and third decades (increases of 32.7 and 19.3% during the second and third decades). Likewise, there was a significant increase in transplantations with 2050, 2550 and 2690 valves implanted during the first, second and third decades (24.4 and 5.5% increase during the second and third decades). A total of 4475 pulmonary (61.4%), 2760 aortic (37.9%) and 55 mitral valves (0.7%) were transplanted. Outstanding long-term results in adults and evidence of immune-related deterioration of allografts in neonates and infants were demonstrated. Decellularization was suggested as a solution. One hundred pulmonary and 180 aortic valves were sent for transplantation after decellularization for the ESPOIR and ARISE clinical trials and beyond. The donation and transplantation activity increased progressively. Although cryopreserved valves represent the best substitute for diseased valves, accelerated failure appears after implantation in neonates and infants. The implementation of new technologies, such as decellularization, as a standard procedure for treatment of allograft valves will offer further improvements in allograft quality and increase of durability.

A Systematic Review of Infective Endocarditis in Patients With Bovine Jugular Vein Valves Compared With Other Valve Types

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to systematically evaluate the incidence of infective endocarditis (IE) in right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery conduits and valves, comparing bovine jugular vein (BJV) valves with all others.

BACKGROUND

Recent evidence suggests that the incidence of IE is higher in patients with congenital heart disease who have undergone implantation of BJV valves in the pulmonary position compared with other valves.

METHODS

Systematic searches of published research were conducted using electronic databases (MEDLINE, Embase, and CINAHL) and citations cross-referenced current to April 2016. Included studies met the following criteria: patients had undergone right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery conduit or percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation, and investigators reported on the type of conduit or valve implanted, method of intervention (surgery or catheter based), IE incidence, and follow-up time.

RESULTS

Fifty studies (Levels of Evidence: 2 to 4) were identified involving 7,063 patients. The median cumulative incidence of IE was higher for BJV compared with other valves (5.4% vs. 1.2%; p < 0.0001) during a median follow-up period of 24.0 and 35.5 months, respectively (p = 0.03). For patients with BJV valves, the incidence of IE was not different between surgical and catheter-based valve implantation (p = 0.83).

CONCLUSIONS

There was a higher incidence of endocarditis with BJV valves than other types of right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery conduits. There was no difference in the incidence of endocarditis between catheter-based bovine valves and surgically implanted bovine valves, suggesting that the substrate for future infection is related to the tissue rather than the method of implantation.

The Ross Operation in Children: Effects of Aortic Annuloplasty

BACKGROUND

Autograft dilatation and progressive neoaortic regurgitation after the Ross procedure prompted us to perform routine aortic annuloplasty. The purpose of this review is to evaluate the success of this technical modification in preventing autograft failure requiring reoperation.

METHODS

From 1994 to 2005, 46 children and young adults with a mean age of 12.9 +/- 4.9 years (range, 14 months to 21 years) underwent a Ross procedure; 19 of 46 patients had prior aortic valve surgery. Neoaortic valve function and need for reintervention were compared between patients who had a Ross procedure without annuloplasty (n = 20) and those who had an annular reduction prior to the autograft anastomosis (n = 26).

RESULTS

There were no early or late deaths during a mean follow-up of 65 +/- 36 months. Mean hospital stay was 6.6 +/- 2.9 days. Two patients required early intervention (eight days) for significant neoaortic regurgitation; one patient required repair of a left ventricular outflow tract pseudoaneurysm a month after emergent Ross procedure for endocarditis, and one patient required replacement of a stenotic homograft at five years. Five patients (13%) required autograft repair (n = 3) or replacement (n = 2) for progressive neoaortic regurgitation, two of the 26 patients had reduction annuloplasty (8%), and three of the 20 patients did not (15%) (p = 0.6). There was a similar incidence of neo-sinus of Valsalva dilatation 37 mm or greater in patients with (53%) and without (36%) annuloplasty (p = 0.5).

CONCLUSIONS

The Ross procedure remains an excellent option for valve replacement in children and young adults given the alternatives and can be performed with very low mortality. However, in this series of Ross operations in children, routine use of aortic annuloplasty failed to prevent neoaortic regurgitation requiring reoperation.

Banking of the human heart valves and the arteries at the European homograft bank (EHB) – Overview of a 14-year activity in this International Association in Brussels*

Processing of the human heart valves and arteries has been carried out at the European Homograft Bank (EHB) in Brussels since 1989 and 1991, respectively. Heart valve donors of 0-65 years were classified in (1) Beating heart donors (BHD), of which recipients of heart transplantation (RHT) and multiorgan donors (MOD) after brain death, and (2) non-beating heart donors (NBHD) with warm ischaemic time (WIT) of less then 6 h. Past history of the donors has been checked for malignant and chronic diseases, as well as biology for transmissible and infectious diseases. Perfect collaboration has been established with the transplant coordinators and transplant teams of the implanting centres. Dissection, decontamination, cryopreservation and storing in fluid nitrogen has been carried out in accordance with the Belgian and European Standards of cardiovascular allografts. During this period, a total of 2.828 hearts, 28 predissected valves and 616 batches of arteries arrived in the EHB. 3.537 valves and 1.137 different arteries were accepted for implantation. The main reasons for tissue rejection were morphology, contamination and cuts during the tissue retrieval or dissection. A huge network of different hospitals in Belgium and elsewhere in Europe and Switzerland were included in this process. Pulmonary allografts were not sent for implantation in the left ventricular outflow tract after 1998, since the early and mid-term results after 76 implantations were disappointing. The number of implanted aortic and pulmonary allografts remains stable from year to year, however the number of the allografts used for Ross operation is still increasing. Since the results of the follow up were disappointing, we still only require the implantation and immediate postoperative results, whereas the follow-up information only for specific study purposes.

Reoperations in adults with congenital heart disease: analysis of early outcome

BACKGROUND

Grown-ups with congenital heart disease (GUCH) are an increasingly important group of patients, with many requiring reoperations because of late complications or residual defects, correction after palliation, further palliation or heart transplantation.

METHODS

In order to identify perioperative risk factors, we have retrospectively analysed perioperative mortality and morbidity of 66 consecutive GUCH patients needing reoperations between July 1987 and December 2000 with a mean age of 28+/-12 (14.2-63.5) years and preoperative ejection fraction of 57+/-21%. Primary cardiac defects were LVOT pathology (17 patients), coarctation (10), Tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) (9), VSD (9), transposition of the great arteries (TGA) (7), Marfan syndrome (6), ASD (5) and others (3).

RESULTS

Reoperations included various aortic valve procedures (28), aortic replacements (16), ASD/VSD closures (16), conduits (11), RVOT procedures (8), coarctation repair (5), cardiac transplantation (3) or others (8). Early mortality was 7.6%. Serious postoperative complications occurred in 24%. Presence of cyanosis, heart failure, VSD, TGA, pulmonary atresia, correction after palliative surgery and number of previous operations were preoperative risk factors and duration of operation, cardiopulmonary bypass and aortic cross-clamp, core temperature, low output syndrome, use of epinephrine, pneumonia and ARDS, renal failure, dialysis and stroke perioperative risk factors for fatal outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

Reoperations in GUCH patients are mostly due to outflow tract lesions, coarctations and TOF. Perioperative risks remain important especially with cyanosis, TGA, pulmonary atresia and poor ventricular function. Therefore, close follow-up, timely referral for re-intervention and adequate perioperative management are mandatory to reduce perioperative risks and improve results.

Ross operation for bicuspid aortic valve disease in adults: is it a valid surgical option?

OBJECTIVE

The validity of the Ross operation as freestanding root replacement in adult patients with bicuspid aortic valve disease has lately been questioned. We have analyzed retrospectively our results in 23 adult patients (19 males) operated for bicuspid aortic valve disease ad modum "Ross" employing a freestanding root replacement technique.

DESIGN

In 9 patients the dominant aortic valve lesion was stenotic (aortic stenosis group) and in the remaining 14 patients it was aortic insufficiency (aortic insufficiency group). The fate of the pulmonary autograft in the two groups was studied. The intraoperatively measured aortic and pulmonary annuli diameters from the two groups were compared with those from a population of normal looking aortic and pulmonary valves matched for body surface area.

RESULTS

The aortic insufficiency group needed significant reduction of the aortic annulus diameter to conform to the size of the pulmonary autograft. The pulmonary autograft annuli in this group were significantly larger in diameter than the ones in the aortic stenosis group. The mean pulmonary annulus diameter in the aortic stenosis group was, on the other hand, significantly smaller when compared with that in the normal matched population. After a mean follow-up period of about 19 months, the aortic insufficiency group showed significant dilatation of the neo-aortic sinuses. Between the two groups, the remaining echocardiographic variables remained either stable or improved at follow-up.

CONCLUSION

Pre-existing larger diameters of the aortic and pulmonary annuli in the aortic insufficiency group combined with the significantly increased left ventricular end-diastolic diameters, may predispose these patients to significant dilatation of the unsupported aortic sinuses after a Ross operation. This dilatation does not, however, lead to increase in the autograft valve insufficiency at short-term follow-up if the aortic annulus and the distal ascending aorta are tailored to the size of the pulmonary autograft. Ross operation, employing freestanding aortic root replacement technique, may therefore be recommended in adult patients with bicuspid aortic valve disease with excellent short-term results.

Advances in pediatric cardiovascular surgery: anatomic reconstruction of the left ventricular outflow tract in transposition of the great arteries with pulmonic valve abnormalities

In the past years, advances in pediatric cardiovascular surgery have occurred in many areas with some of the greatest strides being made in complex repairs in younger age groups. Aggressive early corrections while higher risk, may in the long run provide a child with a normal anatomic heart, and corresponding myocardial growth and physiology.