Transprosthetic Cuff Leakage of a Bovine Pericardial Aortic Bioprosthesis

The Carpentier-Edwards PERIMOUNT Magna aortic heart valve is the most frequently implanted bioprosthesis. However, the existence of transvalvular cuff leakage necessitating a second cross clamp has been recently reported. The aim of this study is to seek the mechanism, occurrence rate, and influence of cuff leakage on the clinical course. Between September 2012 and August 2018, 754 consecutive patients underwent aortic valve replacement using a Magna aortic prosthesis at a single cardiovascular center. The overall mean patient age was 75 (69-80) years, and the percentage of female gender was 45.5% (343/754). The etiology included aortic stenosis in 506 patients (67.1%) and aortic insufficiency in 248 patients (32.9%). The implanted valve size was 19 mm, 21 mm, 23 mm, 25 mm, and 27 mm in 125 (16.6%), 243 (32.2%), 228 (30.2%), 130 (17.2%), and 28 (3.7%) patients, respectively. The incidence of cuff leakage was 1.59% (12/754). The origin was left-right commissure in all cases, and the jet passed toward the anterior mitral leaflet. In 9 patients (75%), cuff leakage faded completely within 3 months after surgery. Additionally, residual leak was not associated with hemolysis and cardiac events in all cases. Transvalvular cuff leakage should be perceived as a benign leakage. Nonperivalvular oblique jet from the left-right commissure toward the anterior mitral leaflet in transgastric long-axis view is likely to be cuff leakage, and follow-up with protamine administration for mild leak is suggested as the first-line choice of treatment rather than a second aortic clamp.