Early Results of Simultaneous Aortic Valve and Ascending Aorta Surgery: 16-year Single-Center Experience

Introduction: Surgical treatment for the aortic valve and ascending aortic aneurysm is currently a frequently performed procedure. It is reported that up to 15% of patients requiring aortic valve surgery also need simultaneous surgical intervention of the ascending aorta. The main objective of this study is to present, for the first time in our country, the early postoperative outcomes of combined aortic valve surgery and supra-commissural ascending aorta replacement. This study, being the first of its kind in our country, holds significant importance in the field of cardiovascular surgery. Materials and Methods: This retrospective cohort study included patients who underwent simultaneous aortic valve surgery and supracommissural ascending aorta replacement between 2007 and 2023 at the Department of Cardiac Surgery, UHC ‘Mother Teresa,’ Tirana, Albania. Data were extracted from surgical registries and medical hospital records. Results: A total of 131 patients participated in the study, consisting of 102 males (77.9%) and 29 females (22.1%). The average age of the cohort was 57.33 ± 11.90 years. The majority of patients (93.9%, 123/131) underwent elective surgery. Severe aortic valve stenosis was the most prevalent primary pathology, affecting 58 patients (44.3%). The in-hospital mortality rate was 2.29% (3/131 patients) … Conclusion: Simultaneous aortic valve surgery and supra-commissural ascending aorta replacement at our institution is associated with excellent early postoperative outcomes, reassuring us of the effectiveness of this procedure in our practice.