Long-term fate of the ascending aortic wall after wrapping with polytetrafluoroethylene felt: A case series

Background: Aortic wrapping aims to prevent aortic enlargement or dissection; it is less invasive than ascending aorta replacement. Several studies have reported low mortality and morbidity rates in patients treated using aortic wrapping. Wrapping is often accompanied by aortic valve replacement, which may require a redo surgery after some years. However, only few reports have focused on the redo surgery after aortic wrapping. We report three such cases of redo surgery in patients who previously underwent aortic wrapping using polytetrafluoroethylene felt. Case presentation Among the three cases, two were referred with complaints associated with the deterioration of the prosthetic valve, 10 years or longer after the initial surgery. In all the cases, the aortic wall exhibited severe erosion, necessitating replacement of the ascending aorta. Conclusion: The portion of the ascending aortic wall wrapped with polytetrafluoroethylene felt exhibited severe erosion late after surgery. Therefore, ascending aorta graft replacement is highly likely to be necessary in redo surgery performed long after initial ascending aorta wrapping.