Transcatheter Mitral Valve-in-Valve-in-Valve Implantation: Implications
of complex interventional technique and 3D echocardiography for
valve-in-valve Paravalvular Leak
Abstract
Paravalvular leak (PVL) after mitral valve replacement is the most
common type of nonstructural prosthetic valve dysfunction. While most
patients with only mild-moderate PVL are asymptomatic, those with severe
PVL can present with heart failure and hemolysis, leading to significant
morbidity and mortality. Surgical correction has remained the gold
standard therapy for symptomatic PVL; however, for high surgical risk
patients, percutaneous approaches have emerged as an alternative
management. With the emergence of transcatheter mitral valve-in-valve
techniques for failed bioprosthesis and rings, valve-in-valve PVL is
being encountered more frequently and is identified as a challenging
entity. We present a case of a symptomatic patient with a moderate –
severe valve-in-valve PVL after two mitral valve replacements who then
underwent a transcatheter mitral valve-in-valve-in-valve implantation
with a 29mm Edwards® SAPIEN3 valve via transseptal approach. This unique
case highlights the complexity of this clinical entity and recognizes
three-dimensional transesophageal echocardiography as a tool to guide
valve-in-valve PVL closures.