Technique of apical left ventricular puncture revisited: a case report of double-valve prosthesis evaluation.

ABSTRACT

The presence of both mitral and aortic mechanical prostheses often make access to the left ventricle difficult for hemodynamic evaluation of valve gradients and for performing angiography. We present a case where both the transseptal and direct apical ventricular puncture techniques are utilized for assessing prosthetic valve function. The use of a new over the wire technique for left ventricular access using a flexible 4 French pediatric multipurpose catheter is described.