Studies have shown that the effective orifice diameter of surgical prosthetic valves is 5–7 mm smaller than the labeled valve size. To improve outcomes of surgical aortic valve replacements, the Y-incision aortic annular enlargement enlarges the surgical aortic annulus to accommodate a prosthetic valve 3–4 sizes larger with an effective orifice area that matches the patient's basal ring. This review described the common mistakes of performing the Y-incision aortic annular enlargement in surgical aortic valve replacement, with a detailed look at early outcomes.
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