Usefulness of the cryolife o’brien stentless suprannular aortic valve to prevent prosthesis-patient mismatch in the small aortic root

Objectives This study evaluated the occurrence of prosthesis-patient mismatch (PPM) after Cryolife O’Brien (CLOB) suprannular stentless valve replacement in patients with a small aortic root and its repercussions on the patient’s hemodynamic status and left ventricular mass regression. Background The correct management of the small aortic annulus is still controversial. Small aortic prostheses can lead to a PPM, which results in high gradients with important repercussions on the hemodynamic status. Methods Seventy-two patients (mean age: 72.5 ± 6.2 years, 73.6% women) with a small aortic root (≤21 mm intraoperatively measured aortic annulus) had a CLOB valve implanted in the aortic position between November 1993 and July 2001 at our institution. Mean prosthesis size was 22.0 ± 0.8 mm. Patients underwent echocardiography preoperatively, at discharge, six months, one year and yearly thereafter. Results The incidence of PPM at discharge was 22.2% (16/72); 18.7% were severe (effective orifice area index [EOAI] ≤0.65 cm/m2), 43.7% were moderate (EOAI = 0.66 to 0.75 cm/m2) and 37.6% were mild (0.76 to 0.85 cm/m2). At multivariable analysis, gender (p < 0.001), age (p = 0.015), body surface area (p < 0.001) and patient’s annulus index (p < 0.001) were significant factors influencing the occurrence of “transient” PPM. At one year the incidence of PPM was 0%. Conclusions Suprannular CLOB valve yielded excellent hemodynamic results in patients with small aortic roots. This study demonstrates that PPM can be completely avoided when using the CLOB valve. The superior hemodynamics of this stentless valve are likely to be related to its suprannular design.