The occurrence of aortic regurgitation (AR) attributable to Behçet's disease is rare, but it brings extraordinary complexity to surgical intervention due to the high risk of postoperative morbidity as the result of valve dehiscence or pseudoaneurysms caused by fragile aortic structures and inflamed tissue. The high rate of prosthetic valve detachment after aortic valve replacement is one of the most serious consequences of aortic regurgitation in Behçet's disease, which results in severe aortic annular destruction, presenting a big challenge to cardiac surgeons. Under this condition, a conventional surgical technique is necessary to be modified for improving postoperative prognosis of patients. In this paper, we described the surgical treatment of 5 patients with Behçet's aortitis and report their long-term outcomes.
Copyright © 2012 The Society of Thoracic Surgeons. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.