Safe Late Explantation of Transcatheter Aortic Bioprosthesis

Late explantation of transcatheter aortic biprosthesis with surgical aortic valve replacement is distinctively different from immediate rescue transcatheter valve explant, posing additional challenges due to the sickness of patients, severely adherent transcatheter device to the surrounding structure, and frequently necessary other concurrent procedures. There is clearly a learning curve for late explantation of transcatheter valves, whereas there is limited information with respect to the specific surgical technique for this entity. Herein I describe the key preoperative factors and critical steps of the surgical technique that will facilitate a safe device explantation.