Work

The effect of surgeon experience on the short-term outcomes of aortic annular enlargement

Year: 2025

Type: article

Abstract: Objective: To determine whether surgeon case volume influences short-term outcomes after aortic annular enlargement (AAE). Methods: From January 2019 to December 2023, 202 patients underwent isolated first-time aortic valve replacement with aortic annular enlargement by 11 surgeons. Two performed ≥25 AAEs per year (high case volume surgeons), whereas the other 9 performed <25 AAEs per year (low case volume surgeons). The short-term outcomes were compared between the high case volume surgeons (n = 126) and the low case volume surgeons (n = 76). Results: = .005). Conclusions: AAE can be performed safely by surgeons with less experience with the procedure, but surgeons who perform AAE more frequently implant larger valves with better hemodynamics.

Source: JTCVS Open

DOI: 10.1016/j.xjon.2025.09.039