Transcatheter aortic valve implantation after heart transplantation

Abstract

Conventional cardiac surgical procedures after orthotopic heart transplantation are generally uncommon. We report the case of a 67-year-old man who had severe symptomatic aortic stenosis develop 9 years after heart transplantation. After joint evaluation of the cardiovascular team, transcatheter aortic valve implantation was preferred due to patient medical conditions. The CoreValve prosthesis (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN) was inserted percutaneously into the femoral artery. At 4 months postoperatively, the patient is asymptomatic in New York Heart Association functional class II. This case report provides evidence that transcatheter aortic valve implantation is safe and suitable for selected patients with severe aortic stenosis and a history of heart transplantation that must improve allograft function.