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Our Heart and Vascular Center is one of the few facilities in the country performing the complex Ross procedure, an innovative technique for aortic valve replacement, especially in children.

The Ross Procedure at the University of Maryland

The Ross procedure is named for its creator, English surgeon Dr. Donald Ross. During this procedure, we use your own pulmonary valve to replace your aortic valve. The pulmonary and aortic valves are similar in function and shape. Advantages of this procedure include:

  • No need for blood thinners, since we used your own valve instead of a mechanical valve
  • Less risk of infection
  • In children, the valve grows with the child. (Learn more about our comprehensive heart care for children in our Children’s Heart Program.)

Excellent Results

We are able to obtain excellent results for our patients with this procedure. After the procedure, the empty place left by the pulmonary valve is usually replaced with a homograft (frozen human tissue). This homograft is able to accomplish the same function as the pulmonary valve.

Eventually, we will need to replace the homograft, but that is a much simpler procedure than an aortic valve replacement.

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A high performing hospitals badge from U.S. News & World Report awarded to UMMC for transcatheter aortic valve replacement.