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Updated: May 6, 2026

Full-root Aortic Valve Replacement by Stentless Aortic Xenografts in Patients with Small Aortic Roots
Published on: May 21, 2017
Surgical management of native aortic valve leaflet avulsion during TAVR
David M Williams1, Andrew Castellano2, William Phillips3
1Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, Ellis Medicine / St. Peter's Health Partners, 1201 Nott Street Suite 307, Schenectady, NY, 12308, USA. williamsdav@ellismedicine.org.
Background:
Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has increased in utilization since its approval for management of aortic stenosis patients across all risk strata. We report a rare case of aortic valve leaflet avulsion after balloon expandable TAVR managed with urgent surgery.
Case Presentation:
A 78-year-old male underwent TAVR complicated by avulsion of the native aortic valve leaflet's left coronary cusp. He was taken for urgent surgery for cusp resection to prevent thromboembolic complications.
Conclusions:
Native aortic valve leaflet avulsion should be suspected during TAVR in instances of extreme hemodynamic instability after balloon aortic valvuloplasty. As TAVR expands in lower risk patients, surgeons should have a low threshold to intervene surgically to treat native leaflet avulsion or other complications.
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