Effect of Elective Bentall Procedure on Left Ventricular Systolic Function and Functional Status: Long-Term Follow-Up in 90 patients

Because there are so few data on the long-term effects on left ventricular systolic function and functional status in patients who electively undergo Bentall procedures, we established a retrospective study group of 90 consecutive patients. This group consisted of 71 male and 19 female patients (mean age, 54 ± 10 yr) who had undergone the Bentall procedure to correct aortic valve disease and aneurysm of the ascending aorta, from 1997 through 2003 in a single tertiary-care center. We monitored these patients for a mean period of 117 ± 41 months for death, left ventricular ejection fraction and volume indices, and functional capacity as determined by New York Heart Association (NYHA) class. There were no operative deaths. The survival rate was 73.3% during follow-up. There were 10 cardiac and 13 noncardiac deaths, and 1 death of unknown cause. Echocardiography was performed before the index procedure and again after 117 ± 41 months. In surviving patients, statistically significant improvement in left ventricular ejection fraction, in comparison with preoperative values (0.49 ± 0.11 vs 0.41 ± 0.11; P <0.0001), was noted at follow-up. Similarly, we observed statistically significant reductions in left ventricular end-systolic (39.24 ± 28.7 vs 48.77 ± 28.62 mL/m(2)) and end-diastolic volumes (54.63 ± 6.97 vs 59.17 ± 8.92 mL/m(2); both P <0.0001). Most patients (53/66 [80.3%]) progressed from a higher to a lower NYHA class during the follow-up period. The Bentall procedure significantly improved long-term left ventricular systolic function and functional status in surviving patients who underwent operation on a nonemergency basis.