Prosthetic aortic valve-pexy: Stitch closure of the aortic valve in a patient with a ventricular assist device

摘要

Intermittent opening of the mechanical aortic valve after placement of a ventricular assist device (VAD) can lead to an increased risk of thromboembolism. It has been recommended to close the aorta with a patch or replace it with a bio-prosthesis.1'2 Both these methods, however, increase the ischemic time. A single-stitch method to close the mechanical aortic valve has been described3; however, placement of the suture as illustrated in the article is technically very difficult. We therefore describe our modification as used in a patient with a mechanical aortic valve undergoing VAD placement and include intraoperative photographs and an illustration.