[Aorta-associated complications after prosthetic repair of the aortic valve].

The authors analyzed dependence between the presence of preoperative predictors of aorta-associated complications and risk for the development of these complications in the remote period after prosthetic repair of the aortic valve. The study included a total of 231 patients subjected to aortic valve prosthetic repair with no additional intervention on the root and ascending portion of the aorta. The follow up duration varied from 12 to 62 months. As predictors of the development of aorta-associated complications we examined such factors as the bicuspid structure of the aortic valve, dilatation of the aortic ascending portion relative to the upper border of the individually calculated norm, disordered configuration of the complex "aortic root - ascending portion of the aorta", resistant arterial hypertension, diabetes mellitus. Depending on the number of predictors for the development of aorta-associated complications the patients were subdivided into 2 groups: Group One consisting of 105 patients with two and more predictors of the development of aorta-associated complications, and Group Two comprising 126 patients with not more than one predictor of the development of aorta-associated complications. It was determined that in the first group of patients the total number of aorta-associated complications in the remote period after prosthetic repair of the aortic valve amounted to 25.7% (27 of 105 patients). The total number of aorta-associated complications in the second group amounted to 1.6% (2 of 126 patients). All detected aorta-associated complications were divided into "critical" and "noncritical". The critical complications were those the detection of which required performing a second operation in the patient: formation of an ascending aortic aneurysm and type A aortic dissection. To the "noncritical" aorta-associated complications belonged dilatation of the ascending portion of the aorta progressing at a rate of 2 mm/year. Resulting from the performed study it was determined that each specific of the examined predictors exerted no influence on the risk for the development of aorta-associated complications in the remote period after prosthetic repair of the aortic valve (p>0.05). Any combination of two and more predictors in one patient considerably increased the risk for the development of complications (p<0.001). A conclusion was made that revealing two and more predictors of the development of aorta-associated complications in one patient it is appropriate to perform a simultaneous operation of prosthetic repair of the aortic valve and the ascending aortic portion.