Early clinical outcome after aortic root replacement using a biological composite valved graft with and without neo-sinuses

OBJECTIVES: This study was conceived to compare the results of aortic root replacement using a composite biological valved graft with or without neo-sinuses of Valsalva. METHODS: We compared the early clinical outcomes of 421 patients who underwent aortic root replacement using a handmade biological composite valved graft with or without neo-sinuses (198 and 223 patients, respectively). Propensity matching based on the most important preoperative clinical variables resulted in a cohort of 210 patients (105 pairs) with comparable baseline variables. RESULTS: No difference in early clinical outcome was found between the unmatched groups. At a mean follow-up of 28.8 months, 11 patients required reoperation on the aortic valve (2.6%). Seven of the cases of reoperation were in the group without neo-sinuses (P = 0.83). In the propensity-matched groups, the type of graft used did not affect early and late clinical outcome and incidence of reoperations. CONCLUSIONS: The early clinical outcome of patients submitted to aortic root replacement using a handmade biological composite valved graft is equally good in the presence and in the absence of neo-sinuses