I watched an episode with a 16 year old girl named Allison Lowery. She was having a second valve replacement surgery because her old valve was worn out. The episode said that this was her only action because there was no other surgeries around. I have to say, that the way they reported it was wrong. There are other procedures; one of which is call a Ross Procedure. I had it done in 2000 and have live a perfectly normal life. I had the choice of standard valve replacement or the Ross Procedure. I really didn't like the fact that I would have to have a surgery every 10 years or so. Unless something major happens I should never have to have another surgery. I don't know if she knows of this surgery or not but somthing simular might be an option if she has to have another surgery. My surgeon was Dr. Davis Drinkwater at Vanderbilt University Hospital.

The Ross Procedure is used for people who have an abnormal aortic valve and a normal pulmonary valve, which was not Allison's situation. The Ross Procedure is certainly an excellent choice in the right setting, as in your case, and available for children at Arkansas Children's Hospital as at Vanderbilt. I would point out, for the sake of accuracy, that part of the Ross Procedure involves placing a non-living valve in the pulmonary position. It is speculative (and unlikely) that this valve will last forever, although for the majority of patients it will last for a very long time. The valve in the aortic position (which began in the pulmonary position) is a living valve and may well last indefinitely for most patients.