A novel mechanical mitral valve replacement using Sapien XT

We report the case of a 66 year old female who presented to our institution fourteen years after receiving a St. Jude Mechanical Mitral Valve Replacement. She presented in refractory NYHA class IV congestive heart failure with comorbidities of acute renal failure, liver failure, and mental status changes. She was found to have immobility of one of the mitral valve disks with resultant severe mitral stenosis with a mean pressure gradient of 12 mmHg.

The patient was found to have an STS predicted mortality of 39% with redo surgical MVR, and evaluation by the valve team led to a recommendation of a hybrid surgical and transcatheter procedure. The patient underwent femoral bypass and hypothermia with a sternotomy and left atrial approach. The mechanical discs were removed utilizing needle drivers without removal of the St. Jude ring. Subsequently, a 26 mm Edwards Sapien XT valve was deployed under direct and fluoroscopic visualization. The patient had an event free post-operative course, and one year following the procedure has had an outstanding clinical response with NYHA class II congestive heart failure. Her echocardiogram reveals normal valve function with a MPG of 4 mmHg without mitral regurgitation.

Transatrial hybrid TMVR within the ring of a St. Jude mechanical mitral valve appears to be a feasible procedure which may be used in the future to decrease morbidity and mortality associated with high-risk redo-MVR in patients with mechanical mitral valve prostheses.