The Ross Procedure: Historical Context, Modern Outcomes, and the Road Ahead

Currently, the Ross procedure is the only established operation that allows replacement of the aortic valve with living, growing tissue. Use of the Ross procedure for aortic valve replacement has waxed and waned in recent decades. However, in recent years, with reports from long-term data series, interest has been redirected at the Ross procedure due to its excellent durability and freedom from long-term valvular morbidity and mortality. In patients requiring aortic valve replacement, the Ross procedure offers excellent short- and long-term outcomes and can be tailored to specific pathologies and the needs of individual patients. In this patient population, it is the only intervention that restores life expectancy to that of the general population. The Ross procedure remains a superb intervention for the treatment of aortic valve disease in children and adults in the modern era and should be heavily considered as an option when aortic valve replacement is required.