Transfemoral valve‐in‐valve implantation for degenerated bioprosthetic aortic valves using the new balloon‐expandable Edwards Sapien 3 valve

BACKGROUND: Surgical aortic bioprosthetic valves deteriorate 10 to 20 years after operation. Valve-in-valve implantation with first generation transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) devices has shown to be feasible. We report a first case series with the new Edwards Sapien 3 valve for transfemoral aortic valve-in-valve implantation. METHODS AND RESULTS: Nine patients underwent valve-in-valve-TAVI with the Edward Sapien 3 valve. Seven patients presented with severe aortic stenosis and two patients with severe aortic insufficiency of surgical aortic bioprosthesis. Procedures were performed in local anaesthesia under fluoroscopic guidance with pre-procedural 256 multislice computed tomography for procedural planning. In all patients the Edwards Sapien 3 was successfully implanted decreasing the mean echocardiographic gradient from 42 ± 22mmHg to 18 ± 7mmHg (p < 0.01). Device success according to VARC 2 criteria was achieved in 8 out of 9 patients. There was no death, coronary obstruction, use of second valve or need for post-dilation. Furthermore there were no access-site complications, no minor or major bleedings or vascular injury. Two patients required pacemaker implantation within the first 7 days after valve-in-valve TAVI. Post-procedural echocardiography demonstrated no or trace aortic regurgitation. Early safety events within 30 days according to VARC-2 definition occurred in 1 patient. CONCLUSIONS: The Edwards Sapien 3 valve for treatment of failed surgical bioprostheses is feasible and is associated with no relevant post-procedural aortic regurgitation and a low risk of access site complications.