Severe intraprosthetic regurgitation by immobile leaflet after trans-catheter aortic valve implantation.

Aortic regurgitation mainly in the form of paravalvular leaks is a frequent complication of trans-catheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). We describe a case of an 86-year-old woman with severe aortic stenosis, who underwent trans-apical TAVI with a 23-mm Edwards-SAPIEN valve. Immediately post-implantation, severe intravalvular leak was observed on trans-esophageal echocardiogram (TEE) due to an immobile cusp associated with left-ventricular distension and cardiovascular collapse. Despite successfully treating the leak with the implantation of a second valve of the same diameter within the first one, the hemodynamic status remained unstable. Peripheral extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) was established but resulted in a fatal outcome due to intractable heart failure.
(Copyright © 2010 European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)