Ross procedure linked to high levels of safety, effectiveness after 20 years
The Ross procedure is associated with positive long-term outcomes for younger heart patients with aortic valve disease, according to new data presented at STS 2025, the annual meeting of the Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS).
The study included data from more than 250 patients, tracking them for up to 22 years after treatment. While 186 patients were treated using a cylinder inclusion technique, another 25 received a Dacron-reinforced autograft and three patients underwent a Ross-Konno procedure. In addition, 25 patients underwent an ascending aorta replacement, two underwent a hemiarch replacement and four underwent septal myectomy.
Survival rates for these patients were 95.8% after five years, 94.3% after 10 years, 93.3% after 15 years and 90.3% after 20 years.
Freedom from aortic regurgitation was 95.1% after five years, 92.2% after 10 years, 87.7% after 15 years and 84.5% after 20 years. Freedom from pulmonary regurgitation, meanwhile, was 97% after five years, 83.6% after 10 years, 79.7% after 15 years and 75.1% after 20 years.
“The Ross operation can be performed safely with results comparable to mechanical valve replacement,” lead author Varun Shetty, MBBS, DNB (CVTS), a cardiac surgeon with the Narayana Institute of Cardiac Sciences in Bengaluru, India, said in a statement. “It has the added advantage of avoiding oral anticoagulation drugs and the risks associated with lifelong anticoagulation. In fact, most of our patients are not on any cardiac medications following one year after surgery.”
Shetty also warned care teams that patients 18 years old and younger may be more likely to present with above-average rates of aortic regurgitation following treatment.
“Stabilization of the aortic annulus and pulmonary autograft will improve the reintervention rate in the future,” he said.
STS 2025 was held Jan. 24-26, 2025, in Los Angeles. Additional coverage of the three-day conference is available here, here, here and here.
Michael has more than 18 years of experience as a professional writer and editor. He has written at length about cardiology, radiology, artificial intelligence and other key healthcare topics.