Successful cerebral thrombectomy for a nonagenarian with stroke in the subacute phase after transcatheter aortic valve implantation

BACKGROUND: Thromboembolic events are infrequent but serious complications of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI), occurring in 2.3-10% of the patients. However, the cause of post-TAVI stroke is unclear. CASE DESCRIPTION: A 90-year-old female underwent transfemoral-TAVI for severe aortic stenosis. Ten days later, she presented with an ischemic stroke of the left middle cerebral artery territory due to new-onset atrial fibrillation (NOAF). She underwent emergent endovascular thrombectomy with good reperfusion approximately 6 hours after onset of symptoms. At hospital discharge, her National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score was 11. CONCLUSIONS: Although NOAF is rare during the subacute phase of TAVI, in this patient it might be the cause of her stroke. This finding suggests that dual antiplatelet therapy alone may be insufficient in the prevention of stroke after TAVI. Nonetheless, this case demonstrates the efficacy and safety of endovascular thrombectomy in patients with acute ischemic stroke caused by NOAF after TAVI.