Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jan 3, 2026

Full-root Aortic Valve Replacement by Stentless Aortic Xenografts in Patients with Small Aortic Roots
Published on: May 21, 2017
Self-expandable valve-in-valve treatment for failing sutureless aortic bioprosthesis
Igor Belluschi1, Nicola Buzzatti1, Andrea Blasio1
1Department of Cardiac Surgery, San Raffaele University Hospital, Milan, Italy.
Abstract:
Aortic valve replacement still represents the gold standard treatment for severe symptomatic aortic stenosis. Sutureless bioprostheses have been so far developed to enhance the minimally invasive approach, resulting in a reduction of cross-clamp time. Even if the first implantation was carried out more than 10 years ago, some cases of valve degeneration treated with balloon-expandable valve-in-valve procedures have been previously described in the literature. Here, we present a case of early sutureless valve degeneration resulting in severe aortic regurgitation. After careful evaluation of the patient's comorbidities, a successful valve-in-valve was finally performed using a self-expandable transcatheter prosthesis. A wide discussion of the Heart Team decision-making process and of the technical aspects has been addressed.

