Surgical mitral valve replacement using direct implantation of Sapien 3 valve in a patients with severe mitral annular calcification without adjunctive techniques, a case report

Transcatheter Mitral Valve Therapies in Patients with Mitral Annular Calcification

Mitral annular calcification is a chronic process involving degeneration and calcium deposition within the fibrous skeleton of the mitral valve annulus, which can lead to mitral valve dysfunction. It can be asymptomatic, or it can have pathologic sequelae leading to cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. Mitral annular calcification is increasingly recognized with the advancement of diagnostic imaging modalities, especially in an era with a growing elderly population. Its presence poses considerable challenges in terms of surgical and transcatheter management. Multiple surgical and transcatheter techniques have been developed to overcome these challenges. New transcatheter technologies are under investigation to tackle this problem.

Right Mini-Thoracotomy Beating Heart Mitral Valve Replacement with a SAPIEN 3 Valve for Severe Circumferential Mitral Annular Calcification

Mitral annular calcification (MAC) is a degenerative process that can cause mitral valve stenosis. Conventional surgical mitral valve replacement (MVR) for MAC with mitral stenosis can be challenging and associated with significant risk. Open surgical MVR with a transcatheter valve can offer an alternative in select situations. When such a strategy is not feasible, a beating-heart, mini-thoracotomy MVR with a SAPIEN 3 transcatheter heart valve can be considered. The novel teaching point of this case is use of an alternative approach for managing severe mitral stenosis secondary to MAC, when conventional surgical and transcatheter strategies are not safe or possible.

Hybrid Surgery for Severe Mitral Valve Calcification: Limitations and Caveats for an Open Transcatheter Approach

Background and Objectives: Mitral stenosis with extensive mitral annular calcification (MAC) remains surgically challenging in respect to clinical outcome. Prolonged surgery time with imminent ventricular rupture and systolic anterior motion can be considered as a complex of causal factors. The aim of our alternative hybrid approach was to reduce the risk of annual rupture and paravalvular leaks and to avoid obstruction of the outflow tract. A review of the current literature was also carried out. Materials and Methods: Six female patients (mean age 76 ± 9 years) with severe mitral valve stenosis and severely calcified annulus underwent an open implantation of an Edwards Sapien 3 prosthesis on cardiopulmonary bypass. Our hybrid approach involved resection of the anterior mitral leaflet, placement of anchor sutures and the deployment of a balloon expanded prosthesis under visual control. Concomitant procedures were carried out in three patients. Results: The mean duration of cross-clamping was 95 ± 31 min and cardiopulmonary bypass was 137 ± 60 min. The perioperative TEE showed in three patients an inconspicuous, heart valve-typical gradient on all implanted prostheses and a clinically irrelevant paravalvular leakage occurred in the anterior annulus. In the left ventricular outflow tract, mild to moderately elevated gradients were recorded. No adverse cerebrovascular events and pacemaker implantations were observed. All but one patient survived to discharge. Survival at one year was 83.3%. Conclusions: This “off label” implantation of the Edwards Sapien 3 prosthesis may be considered as a suitable bail-out approach for patients at high-risk for mitral valve surgery or deemed inoperable due to extensive MAC.