Topic Tuesday: Introducing the Konect Resilia Valve Aortic Root Conduit
- keyanazahiri
- 16 hours ago
- 2 min read
Welcome back to Topic Tuesday! Today we will be highlighting a newer tool on the market in aortic surgery - the Konect Resilia Valve Aortic Root Conduit. Aortic surgery from a cardiac surgery perspective often includes repair or replacement of the aortic root, aortic valve, and/or the ascending, arch, and sometimes descending portions of the thoracic aorta. Below is a diagram reminding us of general aortic anatomy. For more details, feel free to refer back to our previous blog posts!
When your cardiac surgeon needs to replace not just the aortic valve but also the aortic root (and often part of the ascending aorta) — for example because of aortic root aneurysm, dissection, connective tissue disease, or severe valve leakage/regurgitation plus root dilation — the procedure becomes far more complex than a simple valve replacement. The conventional surgery in this scenario is the Bentall procedure, which involves replacement of the aortic valve, a conduit/graft replacing the aortic root and ascending aorta, and re-implantation of the coronary arteries into that graft.
In a traditional Bentall operation, the surgeon builds the “valved conduit” in the operating room by sewing a heart valve to a synthetic graft before implanting it. The Konect Resilia conduit, by contrast, comes pre-assembled from the manufacturer — the valve and graft are already integrated as a single, ready-to-use unit. This can help reduce time in the operating room and ensure consistency in how the valve and graft are connected. The graft portion also has a built-in “Valsalva” shape that mimics the natural root anatomy, which may improve blood flow across the valve compared with older, straight-tube grafts.
KONECT RESILIA aortic valved conduit
Research has continued to be done on the Konect Resilia conduit, with early studies showing that it performs well in the short term — offering good blood flow across the valve and low complication rates. However, because the device is relatively new (approved in 2020), long-term results are still being collected. Ten-year durability data have not yet been published, though updates are expected at future meetings such as the STS.
Overall, the Konect Resilia is a streamlined, integrated option for a complex valve and root surgery that seeks to reduce intraoperative complexity, standardize the assembly, and optimize hemodynamics.
Best Wishes,
Keyana Zahiri
Brown Medical Student, MS3
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