Project description:The presence of moderate to severe paravalvular leak increases mortality. We present a case of giant paravalvular leak closure using the 3-dimensional printing model to assess the success of the device to be used for its closure, computed tomography was performed for planning and guiding the procedure by image fusion. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).
Project description:Transcatheter mitral valve interventions are an evolving and growing field in which multimodality cardiac imaging is essential for diagnosis, procedural planning, and intraprocedural guidance. Currently, transcatheter mitral valve-in-valve with a balloon-expandable valve is the only form of transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) approved by the FDA, but valve-in-ring and valve-in-mitral annular calcification interventions are increasingly being performed. Additionally, there are several devices under investigation for implantation in a native annulus. Paravalvular leak (PVL) is a known complication of surgical or transcatheter valve implantation, where regurgitant flow occurs between the prosthetic sewing ring and the native mitral annulus. We sought to describe the role and applications of multimodality cardiac imaging for TMVR, and PVL closure, including the use of Cardiovascular Computed Tomography Angiography and 3-Dimensional Transesophageal Echocardiography for diagnosis, prosthetic valve evaluation, pre-procedural planning, and intraprocedural guidance, as well as evolving technologies such as fusion imaging and 3D printing.
Project description:A 21-year-old male presented with severe aortic paravalvular leak. He had undergone three cardiac surgeries and also had chronic kidney disease. It was decided for a trans-catheter closure owing to the risks of a fourth surgery and co-morbidity. The device was sized based on angiogram, balloon sizing and two dimensional transesophageal echo. There was significant residual leak after deployment of first device. Hence the defect was re-crossed and two duct occluder devices were positioned across the leak from two arterial access. After confirming position and satisfactory reduction in paravalvular leak, the devices were released in tandem. There was near abolition of leak. The patient is asymptomatic at three months follow up. Larger paravalvular leaks are better addressed with two devices of smaller size rather than a single large device. Technical considerations while deploying multiple devices are discussed.
Project description:BackgroundHaemolytic anaemia is a complication of paravalvular leak (PVL). The correlation between the size of the leak and the severity of haemolysis is unclear. Small leaks can cause severe haemolysis, whereas significant leaks may cause no haemolysis.Case summaryWe report the case of a 40-year-old male who underwent mechanical mitral and aortic valve replacement 20 years ago. In the last 3 years, the procedure was repeated three times due to infective endocarditis. He presented with severe shortness of breath. A transoesophageal echocardiogram with three-dimensional surgical view showed that both discs of the mechanical mitral valve opened sufficiently but a severe PVL had occurred at the 9-12 o'clock position. The location of the mitral valve was abnormal, the sewing ring was inserted high at the mid-interatrial septum. The mechanical aortic valve functioned well. Closure of the transcutaneous PVL was accomplished with two percutaneously implanted devices, leaving a small leak in between. After closure, he developed haemolytic anaemia (haemoglobin: 6 g/dL, lactate dehydrogenase: 1896 units/L, reticulocyte count: 4.6%). He then received 16 units of packed red blood cells. He developed acute kidney injury and was started on haemodialysis. We then installed two additional devices to completely close the mild residual leak and another device to resolve the bidirectional transseptal defect. After 2 days, his renal function returned to normal and anaemia improved (haemoglobin: 9.1 g/dL).DiscussionMild residual paravalvular leak can cause severe haemolytic anaemia that is correctable via percutaneous closure of the leak.
Project description:New interventional techniques have made transcatheter closure of aortic paravalvular leaks a viable therapeutic option to treat the sequelae of these defects, including congestive heart failure and hemolysis. We report the transcatheter closure of an aortic paravalvular leak via a combined retrograde/antegrade approach. This was necessary because of difficulty in crossing the defect with a sheath from the retrograde approach. This technique might be useful in application to other difficult structural heart interventions. To our knowledge, this is the first report of a treated paravalvular leak around a Mitroflow(®) Aortic Pericardial Heart Valve.
Project description:BackgroundCatheter-based closure has emerged as a less invasive alternative to surgery in high-risk patients with paravalvular leak (PVL) and clinically significant regurgitation with feasibility and efficacy demonstrated in multiple studies.Case summaryA 72-year-old female with a past history of long-standing rheumatic heart disease underwent mechanical mitral valve replacement in 2008. Ten years later, redo surgery was performed due to a worsening mitral PVL and the leakage was closed by direct pledget-supported sutures, preserving the mechanical valve. She was recently admitted again for haemolytic anaemia and congestive heart failure (New York Heart Association Classes III-IV) due to a recurrent mitral PVL. We report our initial clinical experience using a novel software solution (EchoNavigator®-system) for intuitive guidance during a catheter-based transapical mitral PVL closure.DiscussionTransapical mitral PVL closure with a specifically designed device demonstrated in our case to be a better option than redo surgery. Recently introduced fusion imaging modalities enhanced visualization of soft tissue anatomy and device location improving enormously the results of this challenging intervention.
Project description:Paravalvular regurgitation (PVR) remains one of the drawbacks of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Details of percutaneous closure (PCC) of PVR after TAVI remain obscure. We aimed to explore the patient characteristics, procedural details, closure devices used, and outcomes of PCC after TAVI. A systematic search of the MEDLINE/PubMed and Embase databases from January 2002 to September 2015 was conducted. Reports considered to include same patient were excluded and only the studies with largest cohorts were included. A total of 14 studies including 58 patients (61 cases) were included in the study. A balloon-expandable (BE) valve was used more frequently compared with a self-expandable (SE) valve (72.6% vs 27.4%, respectively). The mean success rate was 86.9% (100% and 77.8%, respectively; P = 0.097). The median number of closure devices used was 1 (range, 1-4) and did not differ between SE and BE valves (P = 0.71). Mean time from index procedure to PCC did not differ between SE and BE valves (295 ± 380 days vs 379 ± 353 days; P = 0.71). Seven patients had history of valve-in-valve and 6 patients had procedural success. Among the patients with available follow-up data (94.8%), there were 15 deaths (27.3%). Percutaneous closure of PVR after TAVI had a high success rate in selected patients in both BE and SE valves. The success rate, timing, and number of closure devices were similar between BE and SE valves. However, prognosis remains fairly poor.
Project description:BackgroundTranscatheter left atrial appendage occlusion (LAAO) using Watchman device has been demonstrated to be efficacious in decreasing stroke risk in patients with atrial fibrillation who are not suitable for long-term anticoagulation. Residual leaks are frequently encountered following LAAO procedures and their clinical implications and optimal management remain controversial.Case summaryIn this report, we describe a case of peri-Watchman device leak treated successfully with percutaneous device closure using an Amplatzer Vascular Plug II device.DiscussionThe clinical implications of peri-device leaks remain controversial with general consensus to continue anticoagulation along with serial imaging for larger leaks (>5 mm). As an alternative strategy, percutaneous closure of these leaks has been attempted in hope of avoiding anticoagulation and minimizing the risk of stroke and should be studied further.
Project description:In an era where transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) indications and utilization are expanding beyond high-risk patients, paravalvular leak remains the intervention's Achilles heel. Effective reduction of paravalvular leak is important in order to ensure an optimal clinical outcome. We present here the first case report in which percutaneous valvular closure using Amplatzer plugs followed by a TAV-in-TAV intervention during the same procedure managed to resolve a severe paravalvular leak with haemodynamic instability, after TAVI for a bicuspid aortic stenosis.