St Vincents Private Hospitals

Why is it performed?

Your doctor may recommend the Bentall procedure if you have experienced problems with your aorta. These may include:

• Aortic aneurysm – where the artery wall has weakened and enlarged
• Marfan’s syndrome – a disease from birth which weakens the thickness of the artery wall
• Aortic regurgitation – where the aortic valve is not closing properly, and blood is leaking backwards into the heart
• Aortic dissection – when the inner layer of the aorta tears and separates

Procedure

The Bentall procedure is performed under general anaesthetic and may take up to five-six hours. Once you are asleep, your heart’s activity is redirected to a special machine that allows your doctor to perform the operation. After cutting into your chest, the damaged part of the aorta and the aortic valve are removed, and the coronary arteries are temporarily detached. The new aortic graft and valve are inserted before the coronary arteries are reattached. Your heart is then restarted, the wound is closed and the operation is complete.

Recovery

After surgery, you will spend one-two days in intensive care where you will be closely monitored and given medication to help with the pain.  You will spend a further few days in hospital before returning home with a personalised rehabilitation program that can begin while in hospital. It may take up to eight weeks for your breastbone to heal and your doctor will talk to you about when it is safe to return to daily activities. It may take a couple of months to get your energy back, but it’s important not to rush your recovery. A full recovery from the Bentall procedure is likely to take six-twelve weeks.