A complex ventricular septal defect following transcatheter aortic valve implantation evaluated by 3D transthoracic echocardiography

Abstract

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has revolutionized the treatment of elderly patients with symptomatic severe aortic valve stenosis. Among the possible TAVI complications, a rare one is the annular/left ventricular outflow tract rupture. We report a rare case of a late complex ventricular septal defect (VSD) following TAVI with a balloon-expandable prosthesis, conservatively managed. Our case demonstrates the role of 3D transthoracic echocardiography (3DTTE) in the accurate diagnosis of this TAVI complication and suggests that, in some cases, it can be used as an alternative to other diagnostic tools, such as transesophageal echocardiography, cardiac catheterization, and computed tomography.

Keywords: aortic valve replacement; perimembranous ventricular septal defect; pseudoaneurysm; three-dimensional transthoracic echocardiography.