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:BackgroundParavalvular leak occurs in 5-17% of patients following surgical valve replacement, more often in mitral position. The prognosis without treatment is poor. Percutaneous device closure represents an alternative to repeat surgery. The objective of this work is to evaluate the medium and long-term results in the percutaneous closure of PVL in mitral prosthesis.MethodsThis observational study is based on a retrospective registry including consecutive mitral PVL cases undergoing percutaneous closure at a single tertiary-care center from April 2010 to December 2020. The safety and efficacy results of the procedure, at 90 days and in the long term, were analyzed. Also, predictors of procedure failure and long-term events were identified.ResultsA total of 128 consecutive mitral paravalvular leak closure procedures were included. Technical success was achieved in 115 (89.8%) procedures. The presence of multiple PVLs was the sole factor that independently predicted procedural failure. Median follow-up of our sample was 41.8 months (mean 47.7 ± 35.7 months). Underlying hemolytic anemia as the indication for PVL closure, a recent admission for decompensated HF, and lack of improvement in functional class emerged as consistent predictors of MACE and death during long-term follow-up, while lack of procedural success during the first PVL procedure and chronic kidney disease were also associated with MACE during follow-up.ConclusionsPercutaneous mitral PVL closure displayed high technical and procedural success rates, with an acceptable safety profile, in a high-risk population. Percutaneous mitral PVL closure achieved an improvement in short- and long-term functional class and a reduction of hemolysis in the vast majority of patients. In addition, long-term survival in our study was good, in particular for patients undergoing successful PVL closure procedures.
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:BackgroundParavalvular leak (PVL) is a common, serious complication related with prosthetic valve replacement. Although surgical closure reoperation is the choice of treatment, percutaneous device closure is a good alternative with good results in patients with very high surgical risk.Case summaryIn this case report, we present the percutaneous closure of PVL of mitral valve replacement (MVR), in a patient with cardiogenic shock who failed conservative medical treatment and was deemed inoperable due to recurrent operations. Successful closure of the PVL with the use of the four consecutive PVL closure devices was performed under general anaesthesia with guidance of 2D and 3D transoesophageal echocardiography. The procedure was performed with no complications and the patient has remained asymptomatic after 10 months following the PVL closure procedure with marked improvement in her NYHA class and echocardiographic values.DiscussionPercutaneous PVL closure is a very challenging and high clinical skills requiring procedure, but has a good success and low complication rate in high-risk patients. It is not a standard procedure and the type and size of device should be tailored for each patient with a good 2D and 3D echocardiographic guidance.
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:Prosthetic paravalvular leaks (PVLs) are associated with congestive heart failure and hemolysis. Surgical PVL closure carries high risks. Transcatheter implantation of occluding devices in PVL is a lower risk but challenging procedure. Of the available devices, only two have been specifically approved in Europe for transcatheter PVL closure (tPVLc): the Occlutech® Paravalvular Leak Device (PLD) and Amplatzer™ ParaValvular Plug 3 (AVP 3). Here, we review the various tools and devices used for tPVLc, based on three observational registries including 748 tPVLc procedures performed in 2005-2021 at 33 centres in 11 countries. In this case, 12 registry investigators with over 20 tPVLc procedures each described their practical tips and tricks regarding imaging, approaches, delivery systems, and devices. They considered three-dimensional echocardiography to be the cornerstone of PVL assessment and procedure guidance. Anterograde trans-septal mitral valve and retrograde aortic approaches were used in most centres, although some investigators preferred the transapical approach. Hydrophilic-coated low-profile sheaths were used most often for device deployment. The AVP 3 and PLD devices were chosen for 89.0% of procedures. Further advances in design and materials are awaited. These complex procedures require considerable expertise, and experience accumulated over a decade has no doubt contributed to improve practices.