Surgical repair of ruptured aortic sinus of Valsalva aneurysm.

Surgical repair of ruptured aortic sinus of Valsalva aneurysm was performed on six patients. The NYHA functional class was I in one case, II in three and III in two cases. All aneurysms had ruptured into the right atrium. Three originated from the right, and three from the non-coronary aortic sinus of Valsalva. The preoperative shunt was 55-200% (mean 118%) of the peripheral cardiac output. At aneurysmal repair, closure of secundum-type atrial septal defect was performed in one case and insertion of a St Jude Medical aortic valve in another. There were no perioperative deaths. Five patients were asymptomatic in the follow-up period (5 months-17 years). One patient died of cardiomyopathy 11 years postoperatively. The long-term results after surgical repair of ruptured aortic sinus of Valsalva aneurysm thus were good, and early operation is recommended in order to avoid congestive heart failure.