Minimally Invasive Aortic Valve Replacement in a Transplanted Heart.

Heart transplantation is subject to a number of chronic complications that may limit graft survival and be detrimental to the patient''s quality of life. Aortic valve stenosis is a rare complication found after cardiac transplantation, which we believe has never been described on a tricuspid normal aortic valve. In the present study, we report a case of successful aortic valve replacement performed 16 years after cardiac transplantation on an extensively calcified tricuspid valve. Surgery was performed by using a minimally invasive approach with a reverse T upper mini-sternotomy, and the aortic valve was replaced by a biological prosthesis. The postoperative course was uneventful and the patient was discharged 7 days after the operation. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]