It describes aortic valve disease and various alternative surgical treatments, with particular emphasis on Dr. Paul Stelzer's experience with the Ross Procedure. The Ross procedure is an exciting surgical alternative for people with aortic valve disease. What makes the Ross procedure so exciting, aside from what goes on in the operating room, is what patients can do afterwards. Many problems can interfere with the proper functioning of a valve.
Some valves have both problems to varying degrees.
Because the Ross procedure is primarily an aortic valve operation, this text focuses on problems pertaining to the aortic valve. The search for the ideal replacement heart valve continues. The natural human valve is the gold standard and has proven hard to match. The material from which it is made should not react with blood elements to cause damage or stimulate clot formation. It should be durable enough to last a normal human lifetime.