Transcatheter valve-in-valve implantation for failed balloon-expandable transcatheter aortic valves

This study sought to evaluate outcomes after implantation of a second transcatheter heart valve (THV-in-THV) for acute THV failure.

Aortic regurgitation after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) may be valvular due to prosthetic leaflet dysfunction or paravalvular due to poor annular sealing.

Patients undergoing aortic balloon-expandable TAVR at 3 centers were prospectively evaluated at baseline, intraprocedurally, at hospital discharge, and annually.

Of 760 patients undergoing TAVR, 21 (2.8%) received a THV-in-THV implant due to acute, severe regurgitation. Aortic regurgitation was paravalvular in 18 patients and transvalvular in the remaining 3 patients. THV-in-THV implantation was technically successful in 19 patients (90%) and unsuccessful in 2 patients (10%), who subsequently underwent open heart surgery. Mortality at 30 days and 1 year was 14.3% and 24%, respectively. After successful THV-in-THV, mean aortic valve gradient fell from 37 ± 12 mm Hg to 13 ± 5 mm Hg (p < 0.01); aortic valve area increased from 0.64 ± 0.14 cm(2) to 1.55 ± 0.27 cm(2) (p < 0.01); and paravalvular aortic regurgitation was none in 4 patients, mild in 13 patients, and moderate in 2 patients. At 1-year follow-up, 1 patient had moderate and the others had mild or no paravalvular leaks. The mean transvalvular gradient was 15 ± 4 mm Hg, which was higher than in patients undergoing conventional TAVR (11 ± 4 mm Hg, p = 0.02).

THV-in-THV implantation is feasible and results in satisfactory short- and mid-term outcomes.