Systemic inflammatory response after transcatheter aortic valve replacement: a case report

Introduction. The growing prevalence of transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) over the past few years has revealed a unique set of events and complications that require rapid identification and treatment to improve outcomes, often involving a multidisciplinary team. Brief description. We present the case of a 79-year-old woman with severe aortic stenosis who underwent a TAVI procedure that was complicated postoperatively by hectic fever without an identified source of infection. After excluding all possible causes of fever, a diagnosis of post-implantation syndrome was made, and glucocorticosteroid therapy led to the patient's recovery. Discussion. A systemic inflammatory response may occur after endovascular aortic aneurysm repair in some patients. This inflammatory response is called postimplantation syndrome and includes fatigue or other flu-like symptoms, fever, and laboratory signs of inflammation. Our case describes the difficulties in differential diagnosis of post-implantation syndrome as a possible complication of TAVI, and also demonstrates the importance of a multidisciplinary approach to such patients.