Factors impacting long-term pulmonary autograft durability after the Ross procedure

Objective: Although the Ross procedure provides excellent long-term survival and a high quality of life, its use has been limited to relatively few centers. In this study, we evaluated long-term Ross procedure results in adults to assess the predictors of pulmonary autograft durability.

Methods: Between 1998 and 2015, 793 consecutive adult patients underwent the Ross procedure. The total root replacement technique was used in all patients.

Results: The early mortality rate was 2.9%. The mean follow-up duration was 6.5 ± 3.2 years, and the 10-year survival rate was 90.4%. Longitudinal mixed-effects ordinal regression identified a combination of bicuspid aortic valve and aortic insufficiency (odds ratio, 2.19; P < .001) as predictors for progression of autograft valve insufficiency at follow-up. The cumulative incidence of autograft reoperations at 10 years was 8.6%. Competing risk regression identified bicuspid aortic valve insufficiency as the independent predictor of autograft reoperation (subdistribution hazard ratio, 2.16; P = .030). Moreover, patients with bicuspid aortic valve and aortic insufficiency had greater increases in annulus (P < .001), sinus (P < .001), and ascending aorta (P < .001) diameters over time.

Conclusions: For patients undergoing the Ross procedure, a combination of bicuspid aortic valves and aortic insufficiency is the main risk factor for late autograft dilatation and dysfunction.