The stenotic aortic valve was surgically repaired in 48 adults, 21 women and 27 men, aged 38 to 83 years. Five had congenital aortic stenosis (AS), with a mean aortic valve gradient and area of 58 +/- 23 mm Hg (standard deviation) and 0.54 +/- 0.13 cm2, respectively; 32 had senile AS with a mean aortic valve gradient and area of 43 +/- 20 mm Hg and 0.98 +/- 0.41 cm2; and 11 had rheumatic AS with a mean aortic valve gradient and area of 59 +/- 24 mm Hg and 0.47 +/- 0.15 cm2. Only 6 patients underwent isolated aortic valvoplasty, 11 underwent concomitant mitral valve procedure, and 34 underwent concomitant coronary revascularization. Repair consisted of decalcification in 33 patients and decalcification as well as commissurotomy in 15 patients. There were three hospital deaths, none related to the aortic valve. Only 2 patients (both rheumatic) did not improve clinically. During follow-up (mean, 64 +/- 41 months) aortic valve restenosis developed in 24% (10 patients, 3/5 congenital, 4/11 rheumatic, and 3/32 senile) at a mean of 64 +/- 28 months. Postoperative Doppler echocardiographic assessment of 21 patients with senile AS at 1.1 +/- 2.7 and 18.1 +/- 1.4 months showed significantly lower aortic valve gradient and improved area in comparison with preoperative values. At 36 +/- 2.7 months, aortic valve gradient and area were not significantly different than preoperative values, and at 58.5 +/- 2.6 months aortic valve gradient was 1.41 (p = 0.07) times the preoperative value. At 7 years, actuarial freedom from aortic valve-related symptoms of the patients with senile AS was 87%. We conclude that in select patients aortic valve repair results in excellent relief of AS. Late restenosis is expected and more likely to occur in the valves with congenital and rheumatic disease than in those with senile disease.