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Ann Thorac Surg 2007;83:S769-S773
© 2007 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons

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Supplement

Reimplantation Valve-Sparing Aortic Root Replacement in Marfan Syndrome Using the Valsalva Conduit: An Intercontinental Multicenter Study

^a Cardiac Surgery Department, Istituto Clinico Humanitas, Rozzano, Italy
^b Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, University of Pennsylvania Medical Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
^c Cardiac Surgery Department, University of Bologna, Bologna
^d Cardiac Surgery Department, Tor Vergata University, Roma, Italy

Accepted for publication October 24, 2006.

^_* Address correspondence to Dr Settepani, Department of Cardiac Surgery, Istituto Clinico Humanitas, Via Manzoni 56, 20089 Rozzano (MI), Italy. (Email: fabrizio.settepani{at}humanitas.it).

Presented at Aortic Surgery Symposium X, New York, NY, April 27–28, 2006.

Dr De Paulis discloses that he has a financial relationship with Sulzer Vascutek, Ltd. Dr Bavaria discloses that he has a financial relationship with Vascutek USA, Inc.

 

	Abstract

Top Abstract Introduction Material and Methods Results Comment References

 
BACKGROUND: Introduced by DePaulis in 2000, the Gelweave Valsalva graft (Sulzer Vascutek, Refrewshire, Scotland) is a modified Dacron conduit (DuPont, Wilmington, DE), with prefashioned sinuses of Valsalva. The aim of this study was to evaluate the mid-term results of the reimplantation valve-sparing aortic root replacement using the Gelweave Valsalva prosthesis in Marfan syndrome patients.

METHODS: A retrospective review was performed of 35 patients with Marfan syndrome in four centers who underwent the reimplantation valve-sparing aortic root replacement using the Gelweave Valsalva prosthesis.

RESULTS: The patients were predominantly men, with a mean age of 36.5 ± 12.6 years (range, 14 to 62 years). Two patients presented with acute type A dissections and underwent emergent operations. Elective hemiarch reconstruction using hypothermic circulatory arrest was required in 11 patients. Aortic valve cusp repair was performed in 2 patients. There were no operative or hospital deaths, and no patients died during follow-up. The mean follow-up was 19 months (range, 1 to 60 months). Significant (>2+) aortic insufficiency (AI), requiring aortic valve replacement, developed in 3 patients during follow-up that requiring aortic valve replacement. The 5-year freedom from reoperation owing to structural valve deterioration was 88.9% ± 8.1%. There were no episodes of clinically significant thromboembolism.

CONCLUSIONS: Reimplantation valve-sparing aortic root replacement with the Gelweave Valsalva prosthesis in Marfan patients provides satisfactory mid-term results, thus encouraging further use of this type of repair. However, long-term results are needed in order to define the durability of this technique.

Marfan syndrome is an autosomal-dominant connective tissue disorder characterized by manifestation in different organ systems involving the ocular, skeletal, and cardiovascular system [1]. Cardiovascular complications such as rupture of aortic root aneurysm and aortic dissection are the primary causes of premature death [2]. Until recently, the standard treatment of aortic root aneurysms in patients with Marfan syndrome has been replacement of the aortic root and ascending aorta [3]. Although the results of this technique have been satisfactory, the patients must undergo the placement of mechanical valve prostheses and anticoagulation-related complications may occur [4].

Despite the presence of aortic insufficiency (AI) with aortic root and ascending aortic aneurysm, the aortic valve leaflets are often normal in Marfan patients. Valve-sparing aortic root replacement, first described by Yacoub and colleagues (remodelling) [5] and David and Feindel (reimplantation) [6] in the early 1990s, is increasingly gaining acceptance, particularly for patients with Marfan syndrome [7–9]. Although the remodelling technique achieves reconstruction of the sinuses, recent data suggest that its failure to stabilize the annulus has resulted in higher incidence of recurrent AI [8, 10].

Conversely, the standard reimplantation technique has been criticized for the absence of sinuses of Valsalva, and thus, a potential deleterious effect on leaflet stress and questionable durability. This has led to multiple modifications of the standard reimplantation technique to incorporate sinuses of Valsalva [10–12]. In 2000, De Paulis and colleagues [13] introduced a Dacron (DuPont, Wilmington, DE) conduit (Gelweave Valsalva, Sulzer Vascutek, Renfrewshire, Scotland) modified with prefashioned sinuses of Valsalva.

Reimplantation valve-sparing root replacement using this Valsalva graft has demonstrated satisfactory short-term results [13]. In this study, we have examined the mid-term results of reimplantation valve-sparing aortic root replacement in Marfan patients using the Valsalva graft in four cardiac surgical facilities.

	Material and Methods

Top Abstract Introduction Material and Methods Results Comment References

 
From October 2000 to February 2006, 35 patients diagnosed with Marfan syndrome according to the Gent criteria [14] underwent reimplantation valve-sparing aortic root replacement using the Gelweave Valsalva prosthesis at the Istituto Clinico Humanitas (Rozzano, Italy), at the Sant Orsola Hospital (University of Bologna, Italy), at the Tor Vergata University Hospital (Rome, Italy), and at the University of Pennsylvania Medical Center (Philadelphia, PA). A retrospective review was performed. The study and all research protocols were conducted in compliance with the Institutional Review Boards at their respective institutions.

Operative Techniques
Median sternotomy was performed and cardiopulmonary bypass was instituted with arterial cannulation through the ascending aorta or femoral artery and venous cannulation through bicaval or right atrial cannulation. In patients for elective hemiarch reconstruction, deep hypothermic circulatory arrest and retrograde cerebral perfusion were used during the open distal anastomosis [15]. In patients with acute type A dissection, a systemic body temperature of 26°C was applied, and antegrade selective cerebral perfusion was used during the period of circulatory arrest. Depending on the surgeon’s preferences, myocardial protection was achieved by combination of antegrade and retrograde Custodiol (Kohler Chemie, Alsbach-Haenlein, Germany) cardioplegic solution and topical cooling with 4°C saline solution or by intermittent antegrade and retrograde blood perfusion.

All patients underwent the reimplantation valve-sparing aortic root replacement according to the technique described by David and colleagues [16]. At the beginning of our experience, the diameter of the prosthesis was calculated from the average height of the three aortic cusps using David’s original formula [16]. More recently, some surgeons have modified their calculation of the size of the prosthesis based on direct measurement of the aortic annulus with a standard valve sizer and adding 5 mm to the calculation. In cases of dilated annulus (>28 mm), some surgeons prefer sizing the prosthesis based on the sinotubular junction measurement, once proper leaflet coaptation is obtained by pulling and aligning the three commissures.

To reconstruct the commissures precisely at the level of the "neo-sinotubular junction" of the graft, which is the connection between the skirt and the standard tubular section, the length of the commissural posts are matched against the length of the skirted section of the graft. The annular collar is then trimmed to customize the prosthesis to the patient’s anatomy. Because of the right ventricular outflow tract, the base of the skirt at the commissure between the right and left coronary sinuses needs to be fashioned to facilitate reimplantation of the conduit at the subannular level. When relative prolapse owing to unequal cusp length was noted (2 cases), plication of the free margin with a 6-0 Gore-Tex (W.L. Gore & Assoc, Flagstaff, AZ) running suture was performed.

Concomitant procedures included mitral valve repair in 3 patients and patent foramen ovale closure in 3 others. The distribution of graft sizes chosen is illustrated in Figure 1.

View larger version (9K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig 1. Graft size distribution. Numbers over the column indicate the number of patients for each group.

Statistical Analysis
All data are reported as the mean ± SD unless otherwise specified. Actuarial freedom from adverse late events was plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method.

	Results

Top Abstract Introduction Material and Methods Results Comment References

 
Patient Demographics
Preoperative demographic data are listed in Table 1. Patients were predominantly male, and the mean age was 36.5 ± 12.6 years (range, 14 to 62 years). Most patients had normal left ventricular function. Preoperatively, absent-to-mild AI was seen in 20 of the 35 patients, and moderate-to-severe AI was present in 15. A bicuspid aortic valve was present in 2 patients. Elective reimplantation was performed in 33 patients, and 2 underwent emergent operation for acute type A dissections. Aortic valve cusp repair was performed in 2 patients. The mean follow-up was 19 months (range, 1 to 60 months) and was 100% complete.

Four patients required early reoperation (<24 hours) for bleeding. None had evidence of acute aortic dissection at reoperation. Temporary right ventricle dysfunction with tricuspid regurgitation developed postoperatively in 1 patient. Right ventricular function fully recovered with perioperative medical management, and echocardiography at the time of discharge from the hospital demonstrated no further evidence of tricuspid regurgitation. A late pericardial effusion occurred in 1 patient, and a pleuropericardial window was required.

Aortic Valve Function
No patient left the operating room with greater than mild AI. Significant AI (>2+) developed in 3 patients during follow-up, and they required aortic valve replacement with mechanical prosthesis. In the first patient, postoperative TEE at the completion of surgery demonstrated mild AI. At the time of discharge from the hospital, the AI had progressed to moderate (3+). This patient required a reoperation 1 month after the first procedure because of rapid increase in left ventricle volumes.

In the second patient, the underlying cause was bacterial endocarditis. Discharged home after the first operation with trivial AI, the patient was readmitted 6 months later with complains of high fever and general fatigue. Echocardiography demonstrated severe AI and leaflet vegetations. Methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from blood cultures. At reoperation, the valve was completely detached from the Dacron prosthesis, and friable vegetations were attached to the three leaflets.

The third patient requiring a reoperation was a 14-year-old boy who had an extreme growth spurt within a 22-month period. The discharge echocardiogram after reimplantation had demonstrated trivial AI. The follow-up echocardiogram at 22 months demonstrated severe AI. At the time of reoperation, all three leaflets were found to have extremely elongated free margins (>45 mm).

The overall 5-year freedom from reoperation and significant AI (>2+) was 83.5% ± 8.6% (Fig 2). The 5-year freedom from reoperation owing to structural valve deterioration and significant AI (2+) (thus excluding the patient with endocarditis) was 88.9% ± 8.1%. At the close of the study, the severity and number of patients with AI were 13 with 0 AI, 15 with 1+ AI, 4 with 2+ AI, and 0 with >2+ AI (Fig 3). There were no episodes of clinically significant thromboembolism.

View larger version (13K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig 2. Overall freedom from reoperation and aortic insufficiency (AI) exceeding 2+.

View larger version (37K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig 3. Comparison between aortic insufficiency (AI) at time of discharge (solid columns) and last follow-up AI (gray columns). Numbers over the columns indicate the number of patients for each group.

	Comment

Top Abstract Introduction Material and Methods Results Comment References

The two basic techniques are reimplantation (David) and remodelling (Yacoub). The principal advantage of the reimplantation technique [6], compared with the remodelling technique [5], is the stabilization of the annulus. This is particularly important for patients with connective tissue disorders such as Marfan syndrome, where the annulus may dilate over time. The advantage of the remodelling technique, in contrast with the original reimplantation technique, is the creation of sinuses of Valsalva and thus an anatomic reconstruction of the aortic root and normal leaflet motion and stresses. However, recent reports have suggested higher incidence of late AI compared with the reimplantation technique, most likely secondary to the lack of annular fixation [10, 12].

The higher incidence of late AI in the remodelling group has convinced most surgeons to choose the reimplantation technique as the preferred technique. However, the major criticism of the standard reimplantation technique has been the absence of sinuses of Valsalva. Several studies [17–21], including finite element analysis [22] and a three-dimensional phase-contrast magnetic resonance imaging study [23], have demonstrated the anatomic importance of the sinuses. These findings have led to modifications to the reimplantation technique [10–12, 24].

Short-term data on the modification of the reimplantation technique using the Valsalva conduit have previously been reported with satisfactory results [25]. This current multicenter study has examined the mid-term results of the reimplantation technique using the Valsalva conduit in Marfan patients.

Three patients required aortic valve replacement during follow-up secondary to the development of significant AI. Postoperative TEE at the completion of the operation demonstrated mild AI in the first patient; but at the time of discharge, AI had progressed significantly (3+). This was the first valve-sparing aortic root replacement performed at the institution. An incorrectly undersized prosthesis was the most likely cause of the early failure. Although it is difficult to draw definitive conclusions from a single patient’s experience, we would not recommend leaving the operating room if the postoperative TEE shows mild or greater AI.

Two other patients had rapid development of significant AI, and both demonstrated trivial AI on echocardiography at the last follow-up before readmission. Endocarditis secondary to methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus developed in 1 patient. No aortic valve cusp repair was performed during the first operation. Severe AI was found to have developed at the 22-month follow-up in the other patient, a 14-year-old boy. During reoperation, the free margins of all three leaflets were noted to be in excess of 45 mm. In retrospect, this patient was probably not a candidate for the reimplantation technique owing to his abnormally stretched leaflets.

According to the guideline of Edmunds and colleagues [26], the 5-year freedom from reoperation in our series owing to structural valve deterioration (thus excluding the patient with endocarditis) and significant AI (>2+) was 88.9% ± 8.1%. Our data are consistent with other reported series [9, 10]. Recently, David and colleagues reported 8-year freedom from moderate-to-severe AI of 90% ± 6% with the reimplantation technique. A modification involving the creation of neo-sinuses was implemented during the last 2 years of the David group’s experience.

In a smaller series from the same center consisting of Marfan syndrome patients exclusively, De Oliveira and colleagues [8] reported a 10-year freedom from reoperation of 100%. However, the actual freedom from AI exceeding 2+ was 75% ± 13% at 10 years. Further subgroup analysis demonstrated that freedom from AI exceeding 2+ at 8 years was 71% ± 21% in the remodelling group and 96% ± 4% in the reimplantation group [27].

Others [12] have echoed our preference for the Valsalva conduit. Clinical analyses have suggested that leaflet motion after the reimplantation technique with the Valsalva graft is similar to that of normal subjects [25]; however, longer follow-up is needed to draw definitive conclusions. The Valsalva conduit combines the advantages of annular fixation—a feature of the standard reimplantation—with the creation of sinuses in the remodelling technique, without adding to the technical complexity of the operation (ie, creating sinuses from a standard graft). Furthermore, using preconstructed sinuses of Valsalva potentially allows for more reproducibility and uniformity.

Criticism of the Valsalva conduit has centered on the predetermined height of the sinus segment and the fixed diameters of the conduit [11]. In patients with Marfan syndrome, the commissural heights may not match the predetermined dimensions of the sinus segment chosen from the corresponding annular diameter. Suboptimal re-creation of leaflet coaptation may result in early failure of the repair. We argue that the Valsalva conduit can be adjusted to the patient’s specific dimensions because the collar and the skirt can be fashioned to adapt to the patient’s anatomy. Moreover, techniques to adjust and reposition the height of the new sinotubular junction when the commissural heights are shorter than the height of the skirt have been described [28, 29].

Our study is limited by its retrospective nature and its size of 35 patients. However, the mid-term results in this multicenter study examining reimplantation valve-sparing root replacement in Marfan patients with the Gelweave Valsalva prosthesis are satisfactory, and thus encourage further use of this type of repair. Nevertheless, at mean follow-up of 19 months, 4 patients had 2+ AI, suggesting that long-term results are needed to further define the durability of this technique.

	References

Top Abstract Introduction Material and Methods Results Comment References

 

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This Article Abstract Full Text (PDF) Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Citation Map Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in PubMed Alert me to new issues of the journal Add to Personal Folders Download to citation manager Author home page(s): Fabrizio Settepani Wilson Y. Szeto Davide Pacini Ruggero De Paulis Luigi Chiariello Roberto Di Bartolomeo Roberto Gallotti Joseph E. Bavaria Permission Requests Citing Articles Citing Articles via HighWire Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Settepani, F. Articles by Bavaria, J. E. Search for Related Content PubMed PubMed Citation Articles by Settepani, F. Articles by Bavaria, J. E.