The utility of aortic valve leaflet reconstruction techniques in children and young adults.

OBJECTIVES: The treatment of aortic valve disease in children and adolescents requires an individualized approach to provide a long-term solution with optimal hemodynamic profile. The role of aortic leaflet reconstruction techniques is evolving. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 58 patients who underwent aortic valve tricuspidalization either by an Ozaki procedure (neo-tricuspidalization) or single leaflet reconstruction between 2015 and 2019. Immediate operative results as well as hospital and short-term outpatient follow-up data were evaluated. RESULTS: Fifty-eight patients underwent leaflet reconstruction with 40 (69%) receiving a neo-tricuspidalization and 18 patients (31%) undergoing single leaflet reconstruction, using either a glutaraldehyde fixed autologous pericardium or tissue engineered bovine pericardium (CardioCel; Admedus, Queensland, Australia). The median age at the time of surgery was 14.8 years (interquartile range, 10.6-16.8 years). Twenty-three patients (40%) had isolated aortic regurgitation. The peak velocity across the aortic valve decreased from 3.4 ± 1.2 meters per second (m/s) preoperatively to 2.0 ± 0.4 m/s (P < .001) after surgery and remained stable (2.2 ± 0.7 m/s) during a median echocardiographic follow-up of 14.1 months (7.2-20.1 months) for the whole cohort. Freedom from reoperation or moderate and greater aortic regurgitation at 1, 2, and 3 years was 94.2% ± 3.3%, 85.0% ± 5.8%, and 79.0% ± 8.0%, respectively, with no difference between the neo-tricuspidalization and single leaflet reconstruction groups (P = .635). There were 6 late reoperations (10%) of which 3 were due to endocarditis. CONCLUSIONS: Aortic leaflet reconstruction provides acceptable short-term hemodynamic outcomes and proves the utility of this technique as an adjunctive strategy for surgical treatment of aortic valve disease in children and young adults.