Stent distortion after sutureless aortic valve implantation: a new complication seen with a novel surgical technique.

In recent years, sutureless aortic valves have grown in popularity. As these valves do not need to be anchored with sutures, shorter cardiac ischaemia and extracorporeal circulation times can potentially be achieved. In addition, the absence of a sewing ring in these valves results in a greater effective orifice area for any given size. Postoperative outcome may be improved using sutureless valves especially when combined with minimally invasive surgical techniques. However, sutureless aortic valves present unique surgical risks. We report 2 cases of delayed distortion of a sutureless aortic valve stent resulting in paravalvular leakage and increased transvalvular gradients. One patient underwent a reoperation with an aortic valve replacement using a standard biological aortic valve, the other patient was treated with balloon dilatation of the aortic valve stent.
(© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the European Association for Cardio-Thoracic Surgery. All rights reserved.)