"Balloon withdrawal technique" to correct prosthesis malposition and treat paravalvular aortic regurgitation during TAVI

Abstract

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an emerging technology used to treat high-risk patients with severe aortic stenosis. During TAVI with the CoreValve ReValving System, a balloon is used for the reduction of paravalvular regurgitation. However, in this paper, we describe the "balloon withdrawal" technique through which the positioning of a second valve can be avoided in case of initial malpositioning. The result of the technique was rather encouraging, and minimal paravalvular aortic regurgitation was recorded after echocardiographic assessment.