The Bentall procedure is an operation to replace a dilated aortic root together with the aortic valve. An aortic aneurysm may develop together with aortic valve regurgitation, or severe aortic valve stenosis may eventually cause the aortic root to dilate as well.
The aortic root also contains the aortic valve and the arteries that supply the heart, the coronary arteries. These can also become dilated.
In other words, regardless of the cause, a dilated aortic root is replaced together with the valve using the Bentall procedure.
The most dangerous and serious complications of aortic dilation are rupture of the vessel or a tear in its inner wall (dissection). For this reason, an ascending aorta that reaches a certain diameter must be replaced surgically.
During the operation, the aortic valve is replaced with either a biological or a metal (mechanical) valve, and then the entire dilated aorta, including the aortic root, is replaced with a ready-made synthetic graft.
You should know that surgery is unavoidable when the diameter of the dilated aorta exceeds 55 mm. In suitable patients, the operation can also be performed minimally invasively through a small incision without fully dividing the breastbone.
Information on this site is general and does not replace an examination by a doctor.