The Ross procedure is an option for some patients who need an aortic valve replacement. During this procedure the patient’s own pulmonary valve is used to replace the diseased aortic valve. The pulmonary valve is then replaced with a cryopreserved (frozen) human valve. This procedure offers several advantages for young and active patients. Using a tissue valve rather than a mechanical valve means that the patient will not have to undergo a lifetime of anticoagulation therapy. However the traditional use of a tissue valve in the aortic position has been problematic because the valves tend to degenerate, requiring the patient to have future valve replacement surgery. The Ross procedure may offer a solution for that dilemma. The pulmonary valve used in the aortic position has shown to be very durable thereby hopefully eliminating both the need for future surgery and anticoagulation therapy. What about the new valve that is in the pulmonic position? The stress on a replaced valve is greater in the aortic position than in the pulmonic position, because it is under higher blood pressure there. It is believed that a tissue valve in the pulmonic position will last longer than one in the aortic position.
The Ross procedure has been in existence for nearly 30 years. It is named after Sir Donald Ross, a cardiothoracic surgeon in England who did the pioneering work on the procedure. Several centers in the world are doing long-term follow up on these patients.
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