Aortic root dilation after the Ross procedure

This study evaluated changes in neoaortic root geometry in patients who underwent the Ross procedure. Serial postoperative echocardiographic measurements of the neoaortic root indexed to the square root of body surface area (centimeters divided by meters) were obtained from 30 patients (age range 3.1 to 31.4 years) and compared with paired preoperative and immediate postoperative values. Normal aortic root diameter Z scores were derived from root dimensions obtained from 217 healthy controls. Compared with preoperative values, an immediate stretch of the neoaortic versus pulmonary root (annulus and sinuses of valsalva) was observed at a mean follow-up period of 1 week. Additional aortic annular dilation from baseline prehospital discharge values was observed at 2 to 12 months (baseline vs follow-up annulus Z score: 1.4 vs 2.6, p