Replacement of the ascending aorta and aortic valve with a composite graft: results in 25 patients.

Our experience with combined replacement of the ascending aorta and aortic valve with a composite prosthetic valve-Dacron tube graft in 25 patients from September, 1974, to December, 1976, is reviewed. The technique involves suture of the composite graft to the aortic annulus, to the aortic tissue surrounding the coronary ostia, and to the distal ascending aorta, closing the aortic wall over the graft before discontinuing cardiopulmonary bypass. Annuloaortic ectasia was the most common indication for operation (15 patients). Perfusion of the coronary arteries was used in the first 15 patients. In the remaining 20, internal and external myocardial cooling with one period of ischemic arrest (average, 67 minutes) was used. There was 1 hospital death (4%), and there have been 3 late deaths (12%) in the 27-month follow-up period. This technique appears to be applicable to most types of aneurysmal disease of the proximal ascending aorta associated with aortic valve incompetence. All aneurysmal tissue from the aortic annulus to the innominate artery is excluded, bleeding through the graft is eliminated, operative time is reduced, and the late results have been satisfactory to date.