Bicuspidisation of unicuspid stenotic pulmonary valve in a nine-year-old male.

We report the case of a 9-year-old male with severe congenital pulmonary valve stenosis referred to our centre for percutaneous valvotomy. On admission, trans-thoracic echocardiogram confirmed a unicuspid pulmonary valve with a peak/mean pulmonary valve gradient of 91/53 mmHg and a pulmonary annulus of 13.8 mm (-0.8 Z Score). It also showed an enlarged RV (RV/LV ratio 0,9). During cardiac catheterisation, an additional atrial septal defect (secundum) with significant left to right shunt (Qp/Qs > 2) was diagnosed, which was not amenable to percutaneous closure. The patient was referred for surgical repair.The atrial septal defect was closed by a direct running suture. The repair of the unicuspid valve consisted in bicuspidisation by a large commissurotomy to the left anterior wall of the pulmonary artery. The neo-commissure was created with two separate patches of autologous pericardium secured to the wall of the pulmonary root. The adjustment of the effective height of the pulmonary valve leaflets was done by trimming the patches and a triangular plication of the newly created posterior leaflet. Perioperative echocardiogram showed a peak gradient of 15 mm Hg and trivial pulmonary regurgitation. The total cross-clamp time was 92 min and the bypass time 123 min with a favourable evolution after the surgery.The particularity of the case is represented by the complexity of the bicuspidisation procedure. Using this technique, a tailored approach is needed for every patient.

Evolut transcatheter aortic valve replacement explant and aortic root repair with an annular patch in the setting of endocarditis.

As a consequence of the growing number of implanted transcatheter aortic valve prostheses, the increasing incidence of early and late complications of biological valves requires in several cases surgical explantation of the transcatheter valve and subsequent aortic root or surgical aortic valve replacement. In this video tutorial, we show how to avoid aortic root damage in the surgical explantation of a transcatheter aortic valve bioprosthesis in a patient with a dysfunctional transcatheter aortic valve prosthesis affected by endocarditis 15 months after implantation. The infected prosthesis and all foreign materials, concomitant to the calcified native valve, were excised en bloc in preparation for the extensive debridement of infected tissue in the abscess cavity. The defect on the aortic annulus was reconstructed using a pericardial patch, followed by a surgical valve implant.