Prof Tom Treasure has called for expressions of interest to join in a comparative study in the European Heart Journal. The proposed design of the Big Aortic Root Study (BARS) will include documenting the assessment and information given to patients being monitored with a view to aortic root surgery. It is important to us that those joining the study help contribute to the development of the study design and ‘own it’, so at this stage there is no firm proposal, but what is envisaged is an inclusive overarching observational study.