The Ross Operation
Also called the Ross procedure or the Switch procedure, the Ross operation is a surgical procedure that replaces a diseased aortic valve with the healthy pulmonary valve. Then a valve taken from a cadaver replaces the pulmonary valve. In this open chest procedure, your doctor will measure both valves to make sure the Ross operation is a viable option. Next, the diseased aortic valve is removed and the pulmonary valve is put in its place. Then the donor pulmonary valve is sewn into the proper place and the coronary arteries are re-attached. Most patients take up to four days to recover in the hospital and can resume normal daily activities after several weeks.