Aortic valve surgery in patients with left ventricular dysfunction.

Patient with advanced left ventricular dysfunction and heart failure symptoms, either secondary to severe aortic stenosis and a low transvalvular gradient, or chronic aortic insufficiency are sometimes referred for cardiac transplantation. Now, with improvements in both myocardial protection and better valve prostheses, aortic valve surgery for patients with even the most advanced ventricular dysfunction can be performed with low risk.