What question did this study set out to answer?

The aim is to present a technique using nitinol for the explantation of transcatheter aortic valves.

April 18, 2026Open Access

Temperature-triggered nitinol manipulation for explantation of self-expanding transcatheter aortic valves: a case report

Key Points

The aim is to present a technique using nitinol for the explantation of transcatheter aortic valves.
Leveraged temperature-dependent properties of nitinol

Structured PICO

Population

1 70-year-old woman with a history of scleroderma, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, chronic kidney disease, obstructive sleep apnea, and aortic stenosis status post TAVR (26 mm Medtronic CoreValve Evolut PRO) presenting with progressive prosthetic valve stenosis and paravalvular leak.

Intervention

Surgical explantation of a self-expanding transcatheter aortic valve using temperature-triggered nitinol manipulation (cooling with ice) to induce a pliable state, followed by surgical aortic valve replacement and ascending aorta replacement.

Outcome

Successful valve explantation and postoperative clinical course.

Cooling a self-expanding nitinol TAVR valve with ice during surgical explantation induces a pliable martensite phase, facilitating safer and less traumatic removal.

Abstract

This report demonstrates a reproducible technique that leverages the temperature-dependent properties of nitinol to facilitate safe surgical explantation of self-expanding transcatheter aortic valves.

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