Aortic Valve Repair as a Subspecialty: Still an Institutional Practice or Open for All?

ABSTRACT Aortic valve repair combined with root stabilization procedures have been reported to have reliable mid to long-term outcomes, and this is one of the reasons that various surgical units are accepting these techniques as an option in selected cases. Aortic valve replacement is a standard procedure with established results, but to master its techniques there is a major uphill learning curve. A brief communication is presented on the aortic valve repair focusing on the lesser discussed aspects like global variability of the pathology and outcomes, variable referral patterns, and effect of ethnicity.

摘要：主动脉瓣修复联合根部稳定手术已被证实可获得可靠的中远期临床效果，这也是诸多外科中心将该技术列为特定病例可选治疗方案的重要原因之一。主动脉瓣置换术是疗效已得到广泛证实的标准术式，但要掌握其操作技巧，却需要跨越极为陡峭的学习曲线。本文以短篇通讯的形式探讨主动脉瓣修复技术，重点聚焦于此前较少被学界探讨的若干议题：包括不同地域的病理特征与临床结局差异、转诊模式的差异性，以及种族因素的影响。