Abstract
Three female patients with aortic stenosis associated with a severely small annulus underwent aortic valve replacement. In intraoperative measurements, a 19-mm obtulator could not pass through the aortic annulus in each case. We therefore concluded that it would be difficult to implant an appropriate-sized prosthesis in a routine fashion, so we performed an annular enlargement in a modified Nicks procedure. By using a wide teardrop-shaped patch for enlargement and slightly tilting insertion of a prosthesis, a 21 mm bileaflet mechanical prosthesis could be inserted into the enlarged annulus. Despite being a simpler method than other enlarging procedures, a two- or three-sizes larger prosthesis than the native annulus can be inserted with relative ease. Thus, the use of a 19 mm mechanical prosthesis may be avoidable in most adult cases.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 190-192 |
Number of pages | 3 |
Journal | Annals of thoracic and cardiovascular surgery : official journal of the Association of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgeons of Asia |
Volume | 6 |
Issue number | 3 |
Publication status | Published - 2000 Jun |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- Surgery
- Pulmonary and Respiratory Medicine
- Cardiology and Cardiovascular Medicine
- Gastroenterology