Annular Enlargement: Can It Be Effective for Patients With a Small Left Ventricular Outflow Tract?

Background

Aortic annular enlargement (AAE) has been suggested as a surgical technique to facilitate the implantation of a larger prosthetic valve in patients with a small aortic annulus. We investigated the differences in clinical and echocardiographic parameters between patient undergoing aortic valve replacement (AVR) with and without AAE, focusing on the impact of left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) geometry.