Outcomes after Endovascular Arch Repair in Patients with a Mechanical Aortic Valve: Results from a Multicentre Study

The aim of this study was to investigate outcomes after endovascular aortic arch repair in patients with a mechanical aortic valve where the valve needs to be crossed.

An international, multicentre, retrospective observational study was undertaken including all consecutive patients who underwent endovascular arch repair with mechanical aortic valve crossing.

From March 2020 to August 2023, 12 patients were included in the study (median age 55 years, interquartile range 45, 67 years; 58% male). Five patients (42%) had a genetically confirmed connective tissue disorder (CTD) and three more had a high clinical suspicion of CTD. Most patients had a bileaflet valve (11/12; 92%) and one patient had a monoleaflet one. All patients had previously undergone surgical ascending aortic repair. Technical success was 100% with successful completion of the procedure with no valve damage. Two deaths (17%) were observed in the first 30 days post-operatively with no signs of valve malfunction: one patient died of major stroke due to excessive wire and sheath manipulation in the arch; and another due to cardiac arrest of unknown cause, with no valve damage being detected in the autopsy. No intra-operative technical difficulties regarding valve cannulation were observed. During a median follow up of eight months, one patient died fifteen months after the procedure owing to non-aortic related causes, and four endoleaks were present on the latest computed tomography angiography, none type I or III.

Endovascular aortic arch repair in a selected group of patients with a mechanical aortic valve, treated in experienced high volume aortic centres, seems technically feasible and reasonably safe. These preliminary results underline the complexity of the procedure and should be validated by larger cohort studies. With careful patient selection and adequate physician experience, the presence of a mechanical aortic valve could potentially no longer pose a major contraindication to endovascular arch repair in the future.