Original aortic valve plasty with autologous pericardium for quadricuspid valve

Quadricuspid aortic valves represent a very rare pathology. Most cases have been discovered incidentally during heart operations or at autopsy. Patients may become symptomatic with aortic regurgitation. We encountered a symptomatic patient with aortic regurgitation and a quadricuspid aortic valve. Successful aortic valve plasty was done with our original technique of tricuspid replacement by glutaraldehyde-treated autologous pericardium.     

Tricuspidization of the quadricuspid aortic valve

Quadricuspid aortic valves represent an uncommon congenital abnormality. Patients may have aortic regurgitation and become symptomatic at a younger age than patients with other types of aortic valve anatomy. We report 3 patients who underwent successful repair by tricuspidization of the aortic valve.     

Hemolytic anemia with aortic stenosis resolved by urgent aortic valve replacement

A 78-year-old man with aortic stenosis complained of dark colored urine followed by recurrent chest pain and syncopal episodes. Echocardiography showed severely calcified aortic stenosis with the maximal pressure gradient of 125 mm Hg. Hemoglobin was 7.9 g/dL, lactate dehydrogenase was 2,295 IU/L, haptoglobin was less than 10 mg/dL, reticulocyte count was elevated, and Coombs' test was negative. We performed an urgent aortic valve replacement. After the surgery, the patient's urine became clear and his chest pain and syncope abated. All laboratory data returned to normal physiological values. In conclusion, the observed hemolysis was related to the aortic shear stress of a calcified aortic valve.     

Severe aortic insufficiency after transapical aortic valve implantation

We report the dislocation of a stented aortic valve prosthesis two weeks after the uneventful transapical implantation in a female who had underwent mitral valve replacement and CABG six years before. The initial implantation of the Edwards Sapien aortic valve prosthesis (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA), as well as the postoperative recovery, was uneventfully. At the sixth postoperative day, the patient developed a progressive heart failure due to a severe aortic insufficiency. During conventional aortic valve replacement, the dislocated prosthesis was found in the left ventricle. After uncomplicated postoperative recovery, the patient could be discharged in a good physical condition. Preexisting mitral valve prosthesis seems to be an important, complicating goal for transcatheter aortic valve implantation.     

Management of aortic valve dysfunction after transapical approach using the technique "valve after valve"

We report a case of a 77-year-old patient with severe aortic stenosis who underwent transapical aortic valve implantation with a 23-mm Edwards Sapien valve (Edwards Lifesciences Inc, Irvine CA). This procedure was complicated with the occurrence of an acute regurgitation due to entrapment of one of the leaflets that was successfully managed by valve after valve technique.     

Spring retractor: a new adjunct for aortic valve surgery

We describe a new aortic retractor that is effective in maintaining aortic root geometry and providing for adequate intraoperative visual valve assessment, and therefore enables the surgeon to perform precise aortic valve repair or replacement procedures.     

Robotic-assisted aortic valve bypass (apicoaortic conduit) for aortic stenosis

Aortic valve bypass (AVB [apicoaortic conduit]) surgery consists of the construction of a valved conduit between the left ventricular apex and the descending thoracic aorta. In our institution, AVB is routinely performed without cardiopulmonary bypass or manipulation of the ascending aorta or native aortic valve. We report the case of an 83-year-old man with severe symptomatic bioprosthetic aortic stenosis, chronic thrombocytopenia, and a patent bypass graft who underwent robotically assisted beating-heart AVB through an anterior minithoracotomy. The distal anastomosis was constructed entirely using robotic telemanipulation. Robotic assistance enables the performance of beating-heart AVB through a small incision.     

Transaortic transcatheter aortic valve implantation with the Edwards SAPIEN valve: feasibility, technical considerations, and clinical advantages

The randomized Partner study [1] has recently shown superiority of transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve implantation, in patients who are not candidates for surgical aortic valve replacement, when compared with conventional nonsurgical therapies. In patients who are not candidates for the transfemoral approach because of peripheral vascular disease or other contraindications, deployment of the SAPIEN valve (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA) in an antegrade fashion can be achieved through the apex of the left ventricle. However this valuable technique carries specific risks inherent to the access route. Transaortic implantation, through an upper ministernotomy, offers a new alternative that could avoid complications related to the transapical approach.