Ross Procedure Revisited: Evaluating its Role in Contemporary Cardiac Surgery

In this first issue of The Journal of the Best Available Evidence in Medicine (JBAEM), Smith and Petrou provide a narrative review regarding the revival of the Ross operation for replacement of the aortic valve.1 They discuss the current indications of this procedure, its impact on the quality of life, and the long-term survival following surgical aortic valve replacement (SAVR). For its potential advantages, the authors strongly recommend the utilization of the Ross procedure in specific subsets of young patients undergoing SAVR. The authors stated what Ross himself used to reiterate regarding the procedure and that it is ideal for younger patients, usually for those aged less than forty.2 Pulmonary valve auto-transplantation was introduced almost simultaneous ly in clinical practice by Ross in 1962 and Barratt-Boyes in 1964.2,3 Despite the publication date, the latter also performed the first cases in 1962.3 The Ross operation is rather technically demanding.