Aortic Root Enlargement to Mitigate Patient-Prosthesis Mismatch: Do Early Adverse Events Justify Reluctance?

Concomitant aortic root enlargement at the time of surgical aortic valve replacement is an option to avoid patient-prosthesis mismatch. In this single-center study, 4,210 patients underwent aortic valve replacement, of which 171 had concomitant aortic root enlargement. In analysis of matched patient outcomes, there were similar numbers of postoperative bleeding and pericardial effusion events, and no difference in early deaths. The authors conclude that aortic root enlargement can be performed safely with no increase in early postoperative surgical complications.