Transcatheter Paravalvular Leak Closure With Covered Stent Tract and Vascular Plug: Tootsie Roll Technique.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter closure of transcatheter heart valve (THV)-related paravalvular leak (PVL) is associated with a high failure rate with available devices due to the complex interaction of THV and aortic/mitral annulus. OBJECTIVES: This study reports on novel transcatheter techniques to treat PVL after THV. METHODS: The authors describe consecutive patients who underwent PVL closure after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) or transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR). A covered self-expanding stent (Viabahn) was deployed in the defect to create a seal between the THV and annulus. A vascular plug (Amplatzer Vascular Plug 2 [AVP2] or AVP4) was then deployed inside the covered stent to obliterate PVL. RESULTS: Eight patients with THV-related PVL were treated using this method (aortic [3 SAPIEN, 1 Evolut], mitral [2 SAPIEN-in-MAC (mitral annular calcification), 2 M3 TMVR). Various combinations of stents and plugs were used (5 mm × 2.5 cm Viabahn + 6 mm AVP4 [n = 2], 8 mm × 2.5 cm Viabahn + 10 mm AVP2 [n = 5], and 10 mm × 5.0 cm Viabahn + 12 mm AVP2 [n = 1]). All had technical success with immediate elimination of target PVL, without in-hospital complications. None had signs of postprocedure hemolysis. All patients were discharged alive (median 3.5 days [Q1-Q3: 1.0-4.8 days]). No residual PVL was seen at discharge, except for 1 patient with mild regurgitation due to another untreated PVL location. One patient died before 30 days due to complication of valve-in-MAC TMVR. In remaining patients, none had recurrence of PVL at 30 days. Symptoms decreased to NYHA functional class I/II in 6 patients. NYHA functional class III symptoms remained in 1 patient with mitral regurgitation awaiting subsequent valve replacement procedure. CONCLUSIONS: The technique of sequential deployment of a covered stent and vascular plug may effectively treat THV-related PVL.

Impact of Tricuspid Regurgitation on Outcomes After Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement.

Development of functional tricuspid regurgitation (TR) because of chronic mitral disease and subsequent heart failure is common. However, the effect of TR on clinical outcomes after transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) remains unclear. We aimed to evaluate the impact of baseline TR on outcomes after TMVR. This was a single-center, retrospective analysis of patients who received valve-in-valve or valve-in-ring TMVR between 2012 and 2022. Patients were categorized into none/mild TR and moderate/severe TR based on baseline echocardiography. The primary outcome was 3 years all-cause death and the secondary outcomes were in-hospital events. Of the 135 patients who underwent TMVR, 64 (47%) exhibited none/mild TR at baseline, whereas 71 (53%) demonstrated moderate/severe TR. There were no significant differences in in-hospital events between the groups. At 3 years, the moderate/severe TR group exhibited a significantly increased risk of all-cause death (adjusted hazard ratio 3.37, 95% confidence interval 1.35 to 8.41, p = 0.009). When patients with baseline moderate/severe TR were stratified by echocardiography at 30 days into improved (36%) and nonimproved (64%) TR groups, although limited by small sample size, there was no significant difference in 3-year all-cause mortality (p = 0.48). In conclusion, this study investigating the impact of baseline TR on clinical outcomes revealed that moderate/severe TR is prevalent in those who underwent TMVR and is an independent predictor of 3-year all-cause mortality. Earlier mitral valve intervention before the development of significant TR may play a pivotal role in improving outcomes after TMVR.

Transcatheter Myotomy to Reduce Left Ventricular Outflow Obstruction.

BACKGROUND: Left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction is a source of morbidity in hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) and a life-threatening complication of transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) and transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR). Available surgical and transcatheter approaches are limited by high surgical risk, unsuitable septal perforators, and heart block requiring permanent pacemakers. OBJECTIVES: The authors report the initial experience of a novel transcatheter electrosurgical procedure developed to mimic surgical myotomy. METHODS: We used septal scoring along midline endocardium (SESAME) to treat patients, on a compassionate basis, with symptomatic LVOT obstruction or to create space to facilitate TMVR or TAVR. RESULTS: In this single-center retrospective study between 2021 and 2023, 76 patients underwent SESAME. In total, 11 (14%) had classic HCM, and the remainder underwent SESAME to facilitate TMVR or TAVR. All had technically successful SESAME myocardial laceration. Measures to predict post-TMVR LVOT significantly improved (neo-LVOT 42 mm2 [Q1-Q3: 7-117 mm2] to 170 mm2 [Q1-Q3: 95-265 mm2]; P < 0.001; skirt-neo-LVOT 169 mm2 [Q1-Q3: 153-193 mm2] to 214 mm2 [Q1-Q3: 180-262 mm2]; P < 0.001). Among patients with HCM, SESAME significantly decreased invasive LVOT gradients (resting: 54 mm Hg [Q1-Q3: 40-70 mm Hg] to 29 mm Hg [Q1-Q3: 12-36 mm Hg]; P = 0.023; provoked 146 mm Hg [Q1-Q3: 100-180 mm Hg] to 85 mm Hg [Q1-Q3: 40-120 mm Hg]; P = 0.076). A total of 74 (97.4%) survived the procedure. Five experienced 3 of 76 (3.9%) iatrogenic ventricular septal defects that did not require repair and 3 of 76 (3.9%) ventricular free wall perforations. Neither occurred in patients treated for HCM. Permanent pacemakers were required in 4 of 76 (5.3%), including 2 after concomitant TAVR. Lacerations were stable and did not propagate after SESAME (remaining septum: 5.9 ± 3.3 mm to 6.1 ± 3.2 mm; P = 0.8). CONCLUSIONS: With further experience, SESAME may benefit patients requiring septal reduction therapy for obstructive hypertrophic cardiomyopathy as well as those with LVOT obstruction after heart valve replacement, and/or can help facilitate transcatheter valve implantation.