Management of Rheumatic Mitral Stenosis With Annular Calcification During HeartMate 3 Implantation

There is a lack of data-driven consensus on the treatment of mitral stenosis at the time of left ventricular assist device implantation. The presence of severe mitral annular calcification further complicates mitral valve intervention. This case report presents a 72-year-old woman with severe mitral stenosis and severe annular calcification with end-stage ischemic cardiomyopathy who underwent HeartMate 3 (Abbott Cardiovascular) implantation. The mitral valve pathology was successfully managed with concomitant open balloon valvuloplasty and surgical commissurotomy on a fibrillating heart without aortic cross-clamp. This approach avoided the need for mitral valve replacement and the potential risks associated with annular decalcification and reconstruction. Longer follow-up is needed to determine its effectiveness over time.