{"id":1674,"date":"2021-10-25T20:19:14","date_gmt":"2021-10-25T20:19:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/learning\/?page_id=1674"},"modified":"2025-03-19T19:03:40","modified_gmt":"2025-03-19T19:03:40","slug":"ross-procedure-dr-chris-burke","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/learning\/ross-procedure-dr-chris-burke\/","title":{"rendered":"Ross Procedure Reloaded: What Should Patients Know?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>There is no doubt about it.<\/p>\n<p>Patient interest specific to the Ross Procedure continues to rise.\u00a0 My inbox continues to receive question-after-question from patients curious about this advanced form of aortic valve surgery that replaces a patient&#8217;s diseased aortic valve with the patient&#8217;s own pulmonary valve.<\/p>\n<p>For example, Alexander, a patient with aortic stenosis and aortic regurgitation just emailed me, &#8220;Hello Adam &#8211; After extensive research, I&#8217;ve settled on the Ross Procedure as the best option since I have an active lifestyle and do not want to be on blood thinners. How can I find out the surgical outcomes and volume for Ross Procedure surgeons?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>I was fascinated to learn that UW Medicine Heart Institute in Seattle, Washington has launched a unique Ross Procedure Program that is led by <a href=\"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/surgeons\/dr-Christopher-Burke-Seattle-Washington.php\">Dr. Chris Burke<\/a>, an aortic valve and root specialist.\u00a0 To better understand this &#8220;Ross Procedure Resurgence&#8221;, I was lucky to interview Dr. Burke.<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" title=\"YouTube video player\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/XZHGqQAowiI?rel=0\" width=\"560\" height=\"315\" frameborder=\"0\" allowfullscreen=\"allowfullscreen\"><\/iframe><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Key Learnings About the Ross Procedure<\/h2>\n<p>Here are several key points that Dr. Burke shared during our interview:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Dr. Burke decided to become a cardiac surgeon after &#8220;falling in love&#8221; with the specialty during medical school given the ability to restore heart function, the challenging nature of the procedures, the team environment and the positive impact heart surgery can have on patient health.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"aligncenter size-full\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/profileImages\/433_129_180.jpg\" alt=\"Dr. Chris Burke (UW Medicine Heart Institute)\" width=\"129\" height=\"180\" \/>Dr. Chris Burke<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Today, Dr. Burke&#8217;s surgical specialties include thoracic aorta disease, aortic aneurysms, and aortic valve disease including the Ross Procedure and aortic valve repairs.<\/li>\n<li>The Ross Procedure is a &#8220;two-valve&#8221; procedure in which the patient&#8217;s diseased aortic valve is replaced with the patient&#8217;s pulmonary valve (the autograft).\u00a0 Then, a human donor valve is implanted in the pulmonary position (the homograft).\u00a0 For this reason, the Ross Procedure is sometimes referred to as the &#8220;Switch Procedure&#8221;.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1684 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/learning\/..\/Images\/Ross-Procedure-Diagram-HeartValveSurgery.com_.jpg\" alt=\"Ross Procedure Diagram\" width=\"700\" height=\"390\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Throughout his career, Dr. Burke observed several &#8220;patient costs&#8221;, or disadvantages, specific to conventional aortic valve replacements including the use of blood thinners, re-operations and infections.\u00a0 For these reasons, Dr. Burke evaluated the Ross Procedure as a unique approach to better suit the needs of his patients. As Dr. Burke states, &#8220;I really thought to myself, there has to be a better way we can do this.\u00a0 We must have some sort of innovation that can improve on these challenges. That coincided with data coming out showing the Ross Procedure in adults was both very durable and very safe.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1683 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/learning\/..\/Images\/aortic-valve-replacement-disadvantages.jpg\" alt=\"Traditional Aortic Valve Replacement Disadvantages\" width=\"700\" height=\"392\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>According to Dr. Burke, there are multiple advantages of the Ross Procedure including (i) the performance of the pulmonary autograft, (ii) there is no need for patients to be on blood-thinners, (iii) the Ross Procedure is resistant to infection, and (iv) longer life expectancy.\u00a0 Dr. Burke states, &#8220;Most importantly, patients with the Ross Procedure tend to live the longest, and there\u2019s some suggestion they may live as long, or close to, their age-matched peers who don\u2019t have aortic valvular disease.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1682 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/learning\/..\/Images\/Ross-Procedure-Advantages.jpg\" alt=\"Ross Procedure Advantages\" width=\"700\" height=\"389\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"list-style-type: none;\">\n<ul>\n<li>The Ross Procedure is sometimes dismissed by physicians. According to Dr. Burke, the Ross Procedure is a difficult procedure that requires a unique skill set to complete. Dr. Burke states, &#8220;It\u2019s a hard operation. Conventional aortic valve replacement, certainly by cardiac surgical standards, is a fairly straightforward operation&#8230; A Ross procedure is a significant step-up from a technical complexity standpoint. It requires a full root replacement in most circumstances and a safe harvest of the pulmonary autograft, which has potential pitfalls. The pulmonary valve needs to be reconstructed. So, it\u2019s many more operative steps. That gets into the critical importance for patients to be at a cardiac center that has experience with the Ross Procedure.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1707\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/learning\/..\/Images\/dr-chris-burke-operating.jpg\" alt=\"Dr. Chris Burke Operating\" width=\"650\" height=\"362\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Ross Procedure Program at the UW Medicine Heart Institute launched in 2019 with a <a href=\"https:\/\/sites.uw.edu\/uwmtap\">dedicated, multi-disciplinary team<\/a> to support patients.\u00a0 Dr. Burke states, &#8220;I had the commitment from my colleagues both on the surgical side, on the cardiology side, and on the entire treatment team. It\u2019s important to realize this is not just simply a surgeon performing the procedure. There\u2019s a whole team and program aspect. We weren\u2019t going to do this if we were only 50% in. We had to be fully committed.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>Many protocols were established by UW Medicine Heart Institute specific to the performance of the Ross Procedure and the personnel needed to maximize results (safety, effectiveness and durability).<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-1685 aligncenter\" src=\"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/learning\/..\/Images\/UW-Medicine-Heart-Institute-1-Ranking.jpg\" alt=\"UW Medicine Heart Institute\" width=\"700\" height=\"366\" \/>UW Medicine\u00a0 (Seattle, Washington)<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>The Ross Procedure Program at UW Medicine Heart Institute has grown quickly.\u00a0 This year, Dr. Burke plans to perform between 30 to 40 Ross Procedures.<\/li>\n<li>Patient age can be a factor when evaluating the Ross Procedure as a treatment option. Dr. Burke states, &#8220;In my practice&#8230; For patients with non-repairable aortic valve pathology, who are under 60 years old, a Ross Procedure is very much a first or frontline therapy.\u00a0 For patients aged 60 to 65 , it becomes a case-by-case consideration. I use age more as a surrogate for expected life expectancy. I want to see about 25 years or so. Much less than that if a patient has many co-morbidities or is over 65.&#8221;<\/li>\n<li>Dr. Burke believes the trend to the Ross Procedure will continue.\u00a0 According to Dr. Burke, &#8220;Patients are very savvy now. Patients do their research. I think that has been combined with the phenomenon that we\u2019re seeing and appreciating that conventional valve replacement is maybe not such a great option in certain younger patient populations along with really good data showing the Ross Procedure to be a very safe, very effective procedure.<\/li>\n<li>The number one piece of advice that Dr. Burke has for patients is to do your research. &#8220;This is a technically demanding procedure,&#8221; states Dr. Burke. &#8220;The surgeon and programmatic volume does count and does have an impact. Seek high-volume programs. Make sure you are comfortable with your surgeon, and as a patient, make sure you\u2019re comfortable with the environment that you\u2019re in because ultimately that has a huge influence on outcomes.&#8221;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<h2>Many Thanks to Dr. Burke &amp; UW Medicine Heart Institute!!!<\/h2>\n<p>On behalf of our entire patient community, many thanks to Dr. Burke for sharing his clinical experience and research with our community!\u00a0 Also, many thanks to the UW Medicine Heart Institute for taking such great care of heart valve patients!<\/p>\n<p>Related links:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/surgeons\/dr-Christopher-Burke-Seattle-Washington.php\">See Dr. Burke&#8217;s Interactive Surgeon Profile<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/hospital\/uw-medicine\">Explore the UW Medicine Heart Institute Valve Microsite<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/learning\/ross-procedure\/\">Ross Procedure: 10+ Facts to Know<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Keep on tickin!<br \/>\nAdam<\/p>\n<p>P.S. For the hearing impaired members of our community, I have provided a written transcript of my video interview with Dr. Burke below.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"cms.php","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"class_list":["post-1674","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry","category-ross-procedure"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1674","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1674"}],"version-history":[{"count":34,"href":"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1674\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5312,"href":"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1674\/revisions\/5312"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1674"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.heart-valve-surgery.com\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1674"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}