Aortic False Aneurysm After Double Valve Replacement in a Child

Aortic false aneurysm (AFA) is a rare but life threatening complication after aortic surgery. We report a 13-year-old boy who developed AFA after double valve replacement consisting of the following: (1) Bentall procedure utilizing a 25-mm St. Jude aortic valved composite Hemashield Dacron graft (Meadox Medicals, Oakland, NJ); and (2) replacement of right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit with a 25-mm porcine valved conduit. The exterior metal ring of the pulmonary prosthetic valve conduit caused an abrasion of the Hemashield graft, resulting in the AFA. In addition to simple suture repair, the pulmonary conduit was wrapped with a Gore-Tex patch (W.L. Gore Assoc, Flagstaff, AZ) to prevent recurrence.