Project description:We report fluttering bioprosthetic leaflet, assessed by intravascular ultrasound, during valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement, successfully treated by using chimney stenting. Valve-in-valve transcatheter aortic valve replacement is still a challenging situation, particularly in cases with a shallow distance between leaflet and coronary ostium; a multimodality imaging approach helped manage this situation. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).
Project description:A 48-year-old woman presented with heart failure and bioprosthetic pulmonary valve regurgitation 2 years after pulmonary valve replacement. Intracardiac echocardiography demonstrated uniform thickening of a single prosthetic valve leaflet suggesting leaflet thrombosis rather than bioprosthetic valve degeneration. After 3 months of anticoagulation, valve regurgitation and symptoms improved. (Level of Difficulty: Intermediate.).
Project description:BackgroundThe optimal antithrombotic regimen after bioprosthetic aortic valve replacement (bAVR) is unclear. We conducted a systematic review of various anticoagulation strategies following surgical or transcatheter bAVR (TAVR).MethodsWe searched Medline, PubMed, Embase, Evidence-Based Medicine Reviews, and gray literature through June 2017 for controlled clinical trials and cohort studies that directly compared different antithrombotic strategies in nonpregnant adults who had undergone bAVR. We assessed risk of bias and graded the strength of the evidence using established methods.ResultsOf 4,554 titles reviewed, 6 clinical trials and 13 cohort studies met inclusion criteria. We found moderate-strength evidence that mortality, thromboembolic events, and bleeding rates are similar between aspirin and warfarin after surgical bAVR. Observational data suggest lower mortality and thromboembolic events with aspirin combined with warfarin compared with aspirin alone after surgical bAVR, but the effect size is small and the combination is associated with a substantial increase in bleeding risk. We found insufficient evidence for all other treatment comparisons in surgical bAVR. In TAVR patients, we found moderate-strength evidence that mortality, stroke, and major cardiac events are similar between dual antiplatelet therapy and aspirin alone, though a nonsignificantly lower rate of bleeding occurred with aspirin alone.ConclusionsTreatment with warfarin or aspirin leads to similar outcomes after surgical bAVR. Combining aspirin with warfarin may lead to a small decrease in thromboembolism and mortality, but is accompanied by increased bleeding. For TAVR patients, aspirin is equivalent to dual antiplatelet therapy for reducing thromboembolism and mortality, with a possible decrease in bleeding.
Project description:We describe a successful bioprosthetic annular stretching in a patient with severe prosthetic aortic valve stenosis from a degenerated 19-mm Mitroflow valve (Sorin Group USA Inc, Arvada, CO, USA). This technique allowed for implantation of a 23-mm Evolut-R Pro valve (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN, USA) with significant improvement in hemodynamics after prosthetic annular stretching. We have also summarized other case series and case reports which have previously described similar techniques. <Learning objective: Transcatheter valve-in-valve procedure may not be feasible in certain patients who have a relatively smaller size bioprosthetic valve. Cracking/stretching the annular ring of the smaller prosthetic valve to deploy a larger transcatheter valve is a potential option in these patients. Clinicians must be cognizant of the possible pitfalls, contraindications, and other technical aspects to choose the right patient for this procedure.>.
Project description:BackgroundTranscatheter valve replacement is a less invasive alternative to surgical valve replacement and has become increasingly popular. It is often the preferred approach for patients with high surgical risk. In patients with multiple prior sternotomies and multi-valvular failure, sequential transcatheter valve replacements may be a viable option.Case summaryWe present the case of a 61-year-old-man with two prior sternotomies who underwent sequential transcatheter replacements of the aortic and pulmonic valves for symptomatic aortic and pulmonary stenosis. He was deemed high risk for a repeat sternotomy. The decision to perform sequential transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) and transcatheter pulmonic valve replacement (TPVR) a month apart was made. Patient underwent valve-in-valve TAVR in a stentless bioprosthetic valve with 29-mm Edwards Sapien 3 followed by TPVR with 26-mm Edwards Sapien 3. He tolerated both procedures well and was asymptomatic at 1-month follow up.DiscussionTo our knowledge, this is the first reported successful case of sequential TAVR and TPVR with right ventricular outflow tract stenting in a patient with both aortic and pulmonic bioprosthetic valve dysfunction. Our case demonstrates that transcatheter approach to multi-valvular replacements may be a viable option for high-risk surgical patients.
Project description:A 66-year-old woman with a complex medical history underwent transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVI) owing to mitral insufficiency. Risk factors and noncompliance led to bioprosthetic valve thrombosis (BPVT) within 3 years. Emergent surgery indicated by an ad hoc heart team successfully managed the situation, showcasing challenges in BPVT management after TMVI.
Project description:BackgroundThe widely used Bentall procedure is the criterion standard treatment for aortic root pathology. Studies comparing the long-term outcomes of bioprosthetic and mechanical valves in patients undergoing the Bentall procedure are limited.Methods and resultsPatients who underwent the Bentall procedure with a bioprosthetic or mechanical valve between 2001 and 2018 were identified from Taiwan's National Health Insurance Research Database. The primary outcome of interest was all-cause mortality. Inverse probability of treatment weighting was performed to compare the 2 prosthetic types. In total, 1052 patients who underwent the Bentall procedure were identified. Among these patients, 351 (33.4%) and 701 (66.6%) chose bioprosthetic and mechanical valves, respectively. After inverse probability of treatment weighting, no significant differences in the in-hospital mortality (odds ratio, 0.96 [95% CI, 0.77-1.19]; P=0.716) and all-cause mortality (34.1% vs. 38.1%; hazard ratio, 0.90 [95% CI, 0.78-1.04]; P=0.154) were observed between the groups. The benefits of relative mortality associated with mechanical valves were apparent in younger patients and persisted until ≈50 years of age.ConclusionsNo differences in survival benefits were observed between the valves in patients who underwent the Bentall procedure. Additionally, bioprosthetic valves may be a reasonable choice for patients aged >50 years when receiving the Bentall procedure in this valve-in-valve era.
Project description:Transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement (tPVR) has evolved into a viable alternative to surgical conduit or bioprosthetic valve replacement. This procedure has paved the way for a more advanced approach to congenital and structural interventional cardiology. Although many successes have been noted, there are still a number of challenges with this procedure, including large delivery systems, the need for a conduit or a bioprosthetic valve as a landing zone for the valve, optimal timing of the procedure to prevent right ventricular failure, arrhythmias, and possible death. Research is ongoing to broaden the use of this technology when treating patients with dilated right ventricular outflow tracts, and early experience with a self-expanding valve model has been reported. Affordability is an important factor that must be considered especially in developing nations. The aim of this review is to emphasize the advancement of tPVR, the benefits and challenges of valve implantation, the current state, and the future innovations associated with this approach.
Project description:A 78-year-old woman with bioprosthetic mitral valve degeneration at high risk for reoperation was referred for transcatheter mitral valve replacement. We describe the use of a preemptive alcohol septal ablation pre-procedurally to minimize the risk of acute left ventricular outflow tract obstruction given the anticipated need for a bioprosthetic valve fracture. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).