Colleen,
I think that most surgeons doing the Ross Procedure today wrap the aortic root with dacron as part of the procedure. I have no regrets as I was a low risk patient to have complications since I didn't have a bicuspid valve or other connective tissue disorders. I simply had aortic insufficiency caused primarily by a VSD and exasperated by bacterial endocarditis. My pulmonary valve was in perfect shape. The only thing weighing on my mind is that my surgeon had me on Toprol XL and said I would probably stay on that or something similar for the rest of my life to keep my heart rate and/or blood pressure lower. Well at my 2nd annual follow up exam my cardio took me off of the Toprol saying my blood pressure and heart rate were perfect and I didn't need it anymore. Fast forward to my annual follow up this March and my blood pressure is nearly off the charts and my heart rate wasn't too far behind. I was started on Amlodipine 5mg daily and then it was increased to 10mg daily which finally got my BP back into the normal zone. My heart rate came down some too but not as far down as I would have liked it to be. I'm wondering if during those 3 years of not being on a beta blocker or any other kind of BP/HR medication could have contributed to my dilated aortic root and aorta.
Believe it or not I'm still happy with the choice I made at the time. I spent a lot of time researching the RP, tissue valves, and mechanical valves and felt that I made an informed choice based on the information I had at the time. Plus my "gut" instinct was to go with the Ross, especially since I was having surgery at Duke Medical Center and the surgeon I chose was very experienced doing the RP and was also the best surgeon on the staff to repair my VSD since his specialty was pediatric cardiothoracic surgery including the Ross Procedure and pediatric heart transplant surgery. I think about 10% of post-op RP patients experience some type of aortic root or ascending aorta dilation (at least before they started wrapping them in dacron). Not all of these need further surgery, and of those that do many can be repaired with a valve sparing surgery. But you know someone has to be in that damn 10% and it just happens to be me this time.
I think that most surgeons doing the Ross Procedure today wrap the aortic root with dacron as part of the procedure. I have no regrets as I was a low risk patient to have complications since I didn't have a bicuspid valve or other connective tissue disorders. I simply had aortic insufficiency caused primarily by a VSD and exasperated by bacterial endocarditis. My pulmonary valve was in perfect shape. The only thing weighing on my mind is that my surgeon had me on Toprol XL and said I would probably stay on that or something similar for the rest of my life to keep my heart rate and/or blood pressure lower. Well at my 2nd annual follow up exam my cardio took me off of the Toprol saying my blood pressure and heart rate were perfect and I didn't need it anymore. Fast forward to my annual follow up this March and my blood pressure is nearly off the charts and my heart rate wasn't too far behind. I was started on Amlodipine 5mg daily and then it was increased to 10mg daily which finally got my BP back into the normal zone. My heart rate came down some too but not as far down as I would have liked it to be. I'm wondering if during those 3 years of not being on a beta blocker or any other kind of BP/HR medication could have contributed to my dilated aortic root and aorta.
Believe it or not I'm still happy with the choice I made at the time. I spent a lot of time researching the RP, tissue valves, and mechanical valves and felt that I made an informed choice based on the information I had at the time. Plus my "gut" instinct was to go with the Ross, especially since I was having surgery at Duke Medical Center and the surgeon I chose was very experienced doing the RP and was also the best surgeon on the staff to repair my VSD since his specialty was pediatric cardiothoracic surgery including the Ross Procedure and pediatric heart transplant surgery. I think about 10% of post-op RP patients experience some type of aortic root or ascending aorta dilation (at least before they started wrapping them in dacron). Not all of these need further surgery, and of those that do many can be repaired with a valve sparing surgery. But you know someone has to be in that damn 10% and it just happens to be me this time.
