Aortic homograft replacement in a patient with a porcelain aorta: A case report

Abstract

Patients with a severely calcified (porcelain) aorta are often unsuitable candidates for cardiac surgery because of the high risk of neuroembolic complications from loose calcified particles.We describe a surgical technique in a patient with a porcelain aorta undergoing an aortic homograft replacement for infective endocarditis that used an oscillating saw and a surgical hand drill for suturing the calcified plates.