Loss of Prosthetic Aortic Valve during TAVI Procedure: Endovascular Treatment in Emergent Setting.

BACKGROUND: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has proven over the years to be a viable alternative to open surgery. A rare but severe complication is represented by the valve migration. We report a case of TAVI complication due to the loss of the prosthetic valve in the abdominal aorta treated by endovascular approach. METHODS: An 88-year-old patient with severe aortic valve stenosis, symptomatic for dyspnea was proposed for a TAVI because considered at high risk for surgery. During the TAVI procedure, the undeployed device (Edwards SAPIEN 3 - Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA, USA) detached from its delivery system. Several attempts to withdraw the valve fluctuating in the aorta into its supporting system were performed without success. An emergency endovascular treatment was promptly planned to obtain the exclusion from the flow of the embolized valve. Under local anaesthesia, through the percutaneous femoral access already present, a tube aortic endograft (EndurantTM II, Medtronic, Santa Rosa, CA; ETTF2828C70EE) was successfully introduced and deployed in the infrarenal aorta without any related complications. The embolized valve was completely covered by the endgraft and thus fixed to the aortic wall. The first postoperative computer tomography angiography (CTA) confirmed the correct placement of the endograft, the exclusion of the valve from the flow and the patency of the great vessels. No perioperative or postoperative complications were recorded. The patient was discharged on the ninth postoperative day with the indication to a new attempt of TAVI, through transapical access. CONCLUSIONS: In case of intraprocedural loss of an undeplyed valve during TAVI, the valve fixing through endograft deployment in infrarenal aorta is a possible solution.

Transcatheter aortic valve-in-valve implantation for failed surgical bioprosthetic valves. A minimalist approach without contrast aortography or echocardiographic guidance.

OBJECTIVES: To demonstrate safety, feasibility and short-term clinical outcomes after transcatheter aortic valve-in-valve (ViV) implantation under local anesthesia without contrast aortography or echocardiographic guidance. BACKGROUND: Transcatheter ViV implantation is an emerging treatment modality for patients with degenerative surgical bioprostheses. Given the radiopaque properties of the surgical aortic valve (SAV) frame, ViV procedures can often be performed with fluoroscopic guidance alone. METHODS: ViV implantation was performed in 37 patients with SAV failure under local anesthesia without contrast aortography. Clinical and echocardiographic data were obtained at baseline, discharge, and 30 days. RESULTS: Mean age was 74 ± 10 years and STS predicted risk of mortality was 5.6 ± 2.4%. Mean transaortic gradient decreased from 39.4 ± 15.5 mmHg to 13 ± 6.3 mmHg at discharge (p < .001), and 20 ± 7.5 mmHg at 30 days (p < .001 compared to baseline), aortic valve area increased from 0.9 ± 0.3 cm2 to 1.2 ± 0.4 cm2 at 30 days (p = .007). No patient had more than mild aortic regurgitation. Hospital discharge occurred at a median of 2.6 ± 4.4 days. At 30-day follow-up there were no deaths, myocardial infarctions, strokes, repeat hospital admissions for heart failure, or renal failure. One patient (2.7%) required a new pacemaker. 93% of the patients were in New York Heart Association functional class I or II. CONCLUSIONS: Transcatheter aortic ViV implantation for selected patients with degenerative surgical bioprostheses under local anesthesia without aortography or echocardiographic guidance is feasible and safe.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement: relative safety and efficacy of the procedure with different devices.

INTRODUCTION: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a well-established treatment for patients with severe aortic stenosis and intermediate-to-high surgical risk. The increasing clinical experience along with technical and design iterations of transcatheter valve systems have contributed to reducing adverse events and improving clinical outcomes. AREAS COVERED: Overview of the latest generation transcatheter heart valves (THVs), focusing on early safety and efficacy outcomes. EXPERT COMMENTARY: Improvements in valve repositionability, reducing the size of valve delivery systems, and antiparavalvular leak iterations have contributed to improving the safety and clinical outcomes following TAVR. However, while certain complications like major vascular events and residual paravalvular leaks have significantly decreased with the arrival of newer generation THVs, no major changes in thromboembolic events (particularly stroke) have been observed, whereas other complications like conduction disturbances requiring pacemaker implantation have slightly increased over time. Also, no major progress on device retrievability has been observed in the last years. The expansion of TAVR toward the treatment of younger and lower risk patients, as well as newer indications (e.g. asymptomatic patients) will likely require an extra-effort involving additional device iterations and complementary therapies (e.g. embolic protection, newer vascular closure devices) to further improve safety and clinical outcomes.

Bailout surgical explantation of a transcatheter valve-in-valve for subacute thrombosis: When there is no time for anticoagulation: Case report and literature review.

Trancatheter heart valve (THV) thrombosis is effectively treated with anticoagulation but alternative therapies are required when a faster gradient reduction is needed. Open heart surgery has been rarely performed due to the high perioperative mortality and only five cases have been described so far. Here we describe a case of emergent surgical explantation for THV thrombosis after a valve-in-valve. A 67years old man underwent transcatheter aortic valve implantation for a failed surgical bioprosthesis Epic 21mm (St. Jude Medical; St. Paul, Minnesota, US). A CoreValve 23mm (Medtronic, Minneapolis, Minnesota, US) was implanted through femoral access under conscious sedation without complications. Mean transvalvular gradient was effectively reduced (33mmHg vs 16mmHg) with no more than mild residual aortic regurgitation. After 8days the patient was discharged on dual antiplatelet therapy but was readmitted to the intensive care unit for pulmonary oedema 13days later. Echocardiography showed a raised transvalvular mean gradient (mean gradient change from discharge=15mmHg) without aortic regurgitation. Heart Team decided for emergent open heart surgery for the hemodynamic instability. On direct inspection THV was well positioned inside the surgical bioprosthesis but two cusps were covered by thrombus which markedly restricted their mobility. The THV and the former surgical valve were explanted and a new larger stented bioprosthesis was implanted. Thrombosis of the THV was confirmed on microscopic examination which showed no signs of inflammation or degeneration. The patient was discharged after 1month and the 3month follow up showed stable transvalvular gradients.

Successful Treatment of Very Early Thrombosis of SAPIEN 3 Valve with Direct Oral Anticoagulant Therapy.

Thrombosis of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an uncommon complication that commonly occurs weeks to months following the procedure. Herein are described the details of a patient who presented with a recurrence of symptoms days after intervention with a bioprosthesis thrombosis that was successfully treated with direct oral anticoagulant (DOAC) therapy and resulted in hemodynamic improvement and resolution of symptoms. Whilst a previous trial of DOAC therapy with mechanical valves was stopped due to elevated events in comparison to warfarin, a TAVI valve may be different, and the rapid onset of action and reduced bleeding risk may be beneficial in this patient group.

Access Options for Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement in Patients with Unfavorable Aortoiliofemoral Anatomy.

In the current era, 10-15 % of transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR)-eligible high and prohibitive risk patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis are not candidates for transfemoral arterial access. Knowledge of the various alternative access options can enable TAVR teams to provide improved quality of life and potentially life-saving treatment for a group of patients who otherwise have no viable options. In this article, we review approach to patients with unfavorable femoral arterial anatomy and provide an in-depth discussion on the various alternative routes for TAVR.

Vancouver Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement Clinical Pathway: Minimalist Approach, Standardized Care, and Discharge Criteria to Reduce Length of Stay.

We describe the development, implementation, and evaluation of a standardized clinical pathway to facilitate safe discharge home at the earliest time after transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Between May 2012 and October 2014, the Heart Team developed a clinical pathway suited to the unique requirements of transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement in contemporary practice. The components included risk-stratified minimalist periprocedure approach, standardized postprocedure care with early mobilization and reconditioning, and criteria-driven discharge home. Our aim was to reduce variation in care, identify a subgroup of patients suitable for early discharge (≤48 hours), and decrease length of stay for all patients. We addressed barriers related to historical practices, complex multidisciplinary stakeholder engagement, and adoption of length of stay as a quality indicator. We retrospectively reviewed the experiences of 393 consecutive patients; 150 (38.2%) were discharged early. At baseline, early discharge patients had experienced less previous balloon aortic valvuloplasty, had higher left ventricular ejection fraction, better cognitive function, and were less frail than the standard discharge group (>48 hours). Early discharge was associated with the use of local anesthesia, implantation of balloon expandable device, avoidance of urinary catheter, and early removal of temporary pacemaker. Median length of stay was 1 day for early discharge and 3 days for other patients; 97.7% were discharged home. There were no differences in 30-day mortality (1.3%), disabling stroke (0.8%), or readmission (10.7%). The implementation of a transcatheter aortic valve replacement clinical pathway shifted the program's approach to combine standardized processes and individual risk stratification. The Vancouver transcatheter aortic valve replacement clinical pathway requires a rigorous assessment to determine its efficacy, safety, and reproducibility.