Aortic Unicuspid Valve Surgery in a Young Patient: A Case Report

The patient was a 33-year-old male. He was noted to have a systolic murmur in the aortic valve region during childhood and underwent balloon valvuloplasty at a pediatric clinic. However, he was not followed up thereafter. Recently, he began experiencing exertional dyspnea and presented to our cardiology department. Detailed examinations, including echocardiography, revealed moderate aortic regurgitation and stenosis, and a unicuspid aortic valve was suspected morphologically. After discussing the findings with the patient, he opted for surgical treatment. The operation was performed under general anesthesia via a median sternotomy. Intraoperative inspection of the aortic valve confirmed a unicuspid morphology, consistent with the preoperative findings. The unicuspid valve was excised and replaced with a mechanical valve (St. Jude Medical (SJM) 25 mm). The surgery was completed without complications, and the postoperative course was uneventful. The patient was discharged home on postoperative day 10. Five years postoperatively, the patient remains asymptomatic and in good condition. Given the rarity of unicuspid aortic valve cases, this report is of significant clinical value.