Objective To introduce a modified Sakakibara classification system for a ruptured sinus of Valsalva aneurysm （RSVA），and suggest different surgical approaches for corresponding types of RSVA. Methods Clinical data of 159 patients undergoing surgical repair for RSVA in Fu Wai Hospital between February 2006 and January 2012 were retrospectively analyzed. There were 105 male and 54 female patients with their age of 2-71 （33.4±10.7） years. All these patients were divided into 5 types as a modified Sakakibara classification system. Type I: rupture into the right ventricle just beneath the pulmonary valve （n=66），including 84.8% patients with ventricular septal defect （VSD） and 53.8% patients with aortic valve insufficiency （AI）. TypeⅡ：rupture into or just beneath the crista supraventricularis of the right ventricle （n=17），including 88.2% patients with VSD and 23.5% patients with AI. Type Ⅲ：rupture into the right atrium （typeⅢ a，n=21） or the right ventricle （typeⅢv，n=6） near or at the tricuspid annulus，including 18.5% patients with VSD and 25.9% patients with AI. TypeⅣ：rupture into the right atrium （n=46），including 23.9% patients with AI but no patient with VSD. TypeⅤ：other rare conditions，such as rupture into the left atrium，left ventricle or pulmonary artery （n=3），including 100% patients with AI and 33.3% patients with VSD. Most RSVA originated in the right coronary sinus （n=122），and others originated in the noncoronary sinus （n=35） or left coronary sinus （n=2）. Results All the type V patients （100%） and 50% patients with typeⅢv received RSVA repair through aortotomy. In most patients of typeⅠ，II andⅣ，repair was achieved through the cardiac chamber of the fistula exit （71.2%，64.7% and 69.6% respectively）. Both routes of repair were used in 76.2% patients with typeⅢ a. The cardiopulmonary bypass time （92.4±37.8 minutes） and aortic cross-clamp time （61.2±30.7 minutes） was the shortest to repair typeⅣRSVA. There was no in-hospital death in this group. Two patients （type I andⅡrespectively） underwent reoperation during the early postoperative period because of restenosis of the right ventricular outflow tract. Most patients received reinforcement patch for RSVA repair （n=149），and only 10 patients received simple suture repair （including 5 patients with typeⅣ，4 patients with typeⅢ a and 1 patient with typeⅡ）. Aortic valve replacement was performed for 33 patients （66.7% of those with typeⅠ）. A total of 147 patients （92.5%） were followed up after discharge. Two patients （type I andⅢ a respectively） developed atrial fibrillation and received radiofrequency ablation treatment，1 patient （typeⅣ） underwent reoperation for residual shunt，and there was no late death during follow-up. Conclusion Modified Sakakibara classification system for RVSA provides a guidance to choose an appropriate surgical approach，and satisfactory clinical outcomes can be achieved for all types of RSVA.