External or subcomissural annuloplasty in bicuspid aortic valve repair:
which is better?
Abstract
Patients with a bicuspid aortic valve (BAV) are at increased risk of
valvular regurgitation compared to their counterparts with a tri-leaflet
aortic valve. There is now increasing emphasis to offer BAV repair to
mitigate the risks of prosthesis-related complications, including
thromboembolism, haemorrhage and endocarditis, as well as structural
valve deterioration and future re-operation with conventional valve
replacement, particularly in younger populations. Furthermore, over the
preceding two decades, our greater understanding of the functional
anatomy of the BAV, pathophysiological mechanisms of BAV insufficiency
and the development of a functional classification of aortic
regurgitation have significantly contributed to the evolution of aortic
valve reconstructive surgery. In this commentary, we discuss a recent
article from the Journal of Cardiac Surgery comparing external
annuloplasty and subcommissural annuloplasty as techniques for BAV
repair.