Doctors Expand Toolkit for Repeat Heart Valve Replacements in Elderly Patients
Cardiologists successfully used a novel technique called BASILICA to replace a failing artificial aortic valve in an 80-year-old patient, avoiding the dangerous coronary artery blockages that typically complicate repeat procedures. The breakthrough expands treatment options for aging populations requiring multiple valve interventions, potentially reducing surgical risk and hospital costs.
Originaltitel: BASILICA Procedure Prior to Valve-in-Valve TAVR in a Supra-Annular TAV Prosthesis.
An 80-year-old man with a supra-annular transcatheter aortic valve (TAV) prosthesis presented with severe transvalvular aortic regurgitation 18 months after the TAV replacement procedure. The authors report the first ever valve-in-valve procedure using BASILICA (bioprosthetic or native aortic scallop intentional laceration to prevent iatrogenic coronary artery obstruction) in such a supra-annular TAV prosthesis. Minimal paravalvular leakage, normal coronary artery flow, and easy coronary access were seen postimplantation. (Level of Difficulty: Advanced.).