METHODS: It is a retrospective review of 7 patients with doubly committed subarterial ventricular septal defects with significant (>moderate) AR who underwent the single-leaflet neocuspidization technique of aortic valve reconstruction from January 2016 to January 2019. Data were collected from medical records. All patients had thorough 2-dimensional echocardiographic assessment preoperatively and during the follow-up period. Primary end points were freedom from postoperative AR and freedom from reoperation and all-cause mortality within the follow-up period with secondary end points of freedom from thromboembolism and infective endocarditis.
RESULTS: Out of 7 patients, 6 were male and 1 was female. There were no perioperative deaths. The mean follow-up period was 2.6 ± 0.8 years. No deaths occurred during the follow-up period. At the latest follow-up examination, only 2 patients showed mild AR and were asymptomatic. There was no documented event of infective endocarditis or thromboembolism during the follow-up period.
CONCLUSIONS: The aortic leaflet neocuspidization procedure for the aortic valve is a relatively new concept. Availability of a template makes it an easily reproducible valve repair in paediatric patients with a single-leaflet abnormality. This technique preserves the remaining 2 normal leaflets, thus promoting the growth potential while maintaining near normal aortic root complex dynamics.