Operative risks of the Ross procedure

Ross procedure: experience decreases risk. Use of the delicate pulmonary autograft to replace the diseased aortic valve can be done safely. There has been only 1 mortality since 1998. As experience was gained, indications were broadened to include more complex cases including those with ascending aortic aneurysm, mitral regurgitation, and coronary disease. Patients with previous sternotomies were also considered complex in this series of Ross procedures.