† These authors contributed equally.
Academic Editor: Carmela Rita Balistreri
The aim of this study is to describe a modified technique for aortic prosthesis
implantation in the sinuses of Valsalva without the use of a patch for aortic
annular reconstruction in patients with prosthetic valve endocarditis complicated
by aortic abscess. From January 2008 to March 2021, 47 patients underwent aortic
valve replacement due to prosthetic aortic valve endocarditis. The new aortic
prosthesis was implanted into the sinuses of Valsalva above the abscess left open
to drain. The first step consists in passing U-shaped stitches with pledgets
through the aortic wall approximately 5–7 mm above the abscess involving the
annulus. In the second step, the prosthesis is fixed to the aortic wall. In the
third step, a 10 mm wide Teflon strip is positioned along the external course of
the aortic wall and U-shaped stitches without pledgets are passed from the
outside to the inside to definitively fix the prosthetic annulus to the sinuses
of Valsalva. In-hospital mortality was 8.5% (4/47 patients). Mean follow-up was
62
