The autograft principle results in postoperative long-term survival comparable with that of the age- and gender-matched general population and reoperation rates within the 1%/patient-year boundaries and should be considered in young, active patients who want to avoid the shortcomings of conventional prostheses.

Techniques for faster arch replacement and controlled FET placement should be considered in order to reduce the early mortality and neurological complications after FET surgery. For distal aortic lesions, a two-staged approach is suggested, rather than the FET landing lower than T10.

The autograft principle remains a valid option for young patients requiring aortic valve replacement. The risk of reoperation depends largely on the surgical technique used and the preoperative hemodynamics. Center experience and expertise also influence the long-term results. Adequate endocarditis prophylaxis might further reduce the need for reoperation.

The FET technique provides an effective treatment for AoD, promoting FL thrombosis and remodelling in the descending thoracic aorta. Changes in the diameter of the aortic lumen depend mainly on the status of the FL and are similar between acute and chronic AoD. Changes in the diameter of true lumen are affected by both the FL status and the timing of the presentation. However, increased FL thrombosis and positive remodelling rates are not maintained at the level of the abdominal aorta, and strict follow-up is mandatory to detect early changes in the aortic dimensions, which may warrant further interventions.

on behalf of the German-Dutch Ross Registry Background-Autograft reinforcement interventions (R) during the Ross procedure are intended to preserve autograft function and improve durability. The aim of this study is to evaluate this hypothesis. Methods and Results-1335 adult patients (mean age:43.5Ϯ12.0 years) underwent a Ross procedure (subcoronary, SC, nϭ637; root replacement, Root, nϭ698). 592 patients received R of the annulus, sinotubular junction, or both. Regular clinical and echocardiographic follow-up was performed (mean:6.09Ϯ3.97, range:0.01 to 19.2 years). Longitudinal assessment of autograft function with time was performed using multilevel modeling techniques. The Root without R (RootϪR) group was associated with a 6ϫ increased reoperation rate compared to Root with R (RootϩR), SC with R (SCϩR), and without R (SC-R; 12.9% versus 2.3% versus 2.5%.versus 2.6%, respectively; PϽ0.001). SC and Root groups had similar rate of aortic regurgitation (AR) development over time. RootϩR patients had no progression of AR, whereas RootϪR had 6 times higher AR development compared to RootϩR. In SC, R had no remarkable effect on the annual AR progression. The SC technique was associated with lower rates of autograft dilatation at all levels of the aortic root compared to the Root techniques. R did not influence autograft dilatation rates in the Root group. Conclusions-For the time period of the study surgical autograft stabilization techniques preserve autograft function and result in significantly lower reoperation rates. The nonreinforced Root was associated with significant adverse outcome. Therefore, surgical stabilization of the autograft is advisable to preserve long-term autograft function, especially in the Root Ross procedure. (Circulation. 2009;120[suppl 1]:S146-S154.)