Transcatheter aortic valve replacement in patients with anomalous left circumflex coronary artery
Kosuke Ujihira1, Amish N Raval2, Matthew R Wolff2
1Division of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Department of Surgery, University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, Wisconsin.
Insights
An anomalous left circumflex artery poses risks during transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Protecting the artery with a guidewire and balloon proved safe, similar to unprotected procedures, in three patients.
Area of Science:
- Cardiology
- Interventional Cardiology
- Cardiac Surgery
Background:
- Anomalous left circumflex artery (ALCA) is a rare coronary anomaly.
- ALCA can increase risks of coronary artery stenosis or obstruction during transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR).
- Optimal procedural management for ALCA during TAVR remains unclear.
Observation:
- This report details three cases of severe aortic stenosis with an ALCX.
- In one case, a coronary guidewire and balloon were used for protection before TAVR.
- In the other two cases, TAVR was performed without specific coronary protection measures.
Findings:
- All three TAVR procedures were successfully completed without immediate complications.
- No coronary stenosis or obstruction occurred during or after the procedures.
- One-year follow-up revealed no adverse events in any of the patients.
Implications:
- The findings suggest that TAVR can be performed safely in patients with ALCX, even without routine coronary protection.
- Further research is needed to definitively establish the best procedural management for ALCX during TAVR.
- These cases contribute to the understanding of managing complex coronary anatomy during TAVR.
Abstract:
The anomalous left circumflex artery can be a risk for coronary stenosis or obstruction during transcatheter aortic valve replacement; however, the best procedural management has not been clarified. We describe three patients with severe aortic valve stenosis as well as anomalous left circumflex artery. In the first patient, a coronary guidewire with balloon was placed before deploying a SAPIEN 3 transcatheter heart valve, as protection from the coronary occlusion or stenosis. For the second and third patients, no coronary protection was used. All procedures were completed safely and no complications were detected at one-year follow-up.
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