Abstract
We report a case of a 79-year-old woman who underwent apicoaortic conduit bypass (ACB) surgery for severe calcific aortic valve stenosis. We did not perform conventional aortic valve replacement because of the patient's advanced age and because she had a small aortic annulus (17 mm) and a high risk of bleeding and cerebral infarction. ACB surgery through a left thoracotomy was performed via a femorofemoral bypass. A hand-made valve conduit was made from the left ventricular apex to the descending aorta. Her postoperative course was uneventful ; postoperative echocardiography showed a decreased pressure gradient at the native aortic valve between the left ventricle and the aorta. This procedure is useful in high-risk patients with severe calcified aortic valve stenosis.
