Catheter-based system for the treatment of left ventricular assist device thrombosis.

Background: Thrombotic complications continue to pose challenges to patients on left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support. The Hoplon system was developed to administer catheter-based lytic therapy with a novel approach to embolic protection.

Methods: Two porcine non-survival surgeries were performed in which off-pump LVAD insertion was followed by injection of thrombus into the impeller, isolation of the pump using the Hoplon system, and administration of lytic therapy to the pump chamber.

Open atrial transcatheter mitral valve replacement in patients with mitral annular calcification.

Background: Mitral valve replacement in the setting of severe mitral annular calcification remains a surgical challenge. Transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) using an aortic balloon-expandable transcatheter heart valve is emerging as a potential treatment option for high surgical risk patients. Transseptal, transapical, or transatrial access is not always feasible, so an understanding of alternative implantation techniques is important.

Open Atrial Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement in Patients With Mitral Annular Calcification.

Background: Mitral valve replacement in the setting of severe mitral annular calcification remains a surgical challenge. Transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) using an aortic balloon-expandable transcatheter heart valve is emerging as a potential treatment option for high surgical risk patients. Transseptal, transapical, or transatrial access is not always feasible, so an understanding of alternative implantation techniques is important.

Effect of Mechanically Expanded vs Self-Expanding Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement on Mortality and Major Adverse Clinical Events in High-Risk Patients With Aortic Stenosis: The REPRISE III Randomized Clinical Trial.

Importance: Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is established for selected patients with severe aortic stenosis. However, limitations such as suboptimal deployment, conduction disturbances, and paravalvular leak occur.

Objective: To evaluate if a mechanically expanded valve (MEV) is noninferior to an approved self-expanding valve (SEV) in high-risk patients with aortic stenosis undergoing TAVR.

Arterial Cutaneous Femoral Fistulous Tract Closure Using Surgiflo Hemostatic Matrix: A Novel Adjunct for Post-TAVR Access-Site Management.

Several options are available to address hemostasis at the end of a cardiac catheterization or percutaneous transfemoral transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) when conventional options are ineffective. To date, there have been few studies exploring the use of a topical thrombin preparation, as one of its main contraindications is that it cannot be used intravascularly due to risk of embolization. The following case shows safe utilization of Surgiflo hemostatic gel matrix under fluoroscopic guidance against an inflated balloon in order to achieve closure of a fistulous tract from a femoral artery access site during percutaneous TAVR.

MitraClip Therapy for Mitral Regurgitation: Secondary Mitral Regurgitation.

Therapy for mitral regurgitation (MR) has been synonymous with mitral valve surgery. Operative approaches for degenerative MR repair have been associated with excellent results, with durable long term outcomes. Surgery for functional MR has been less successful.

Percutaneous vascular plug for incomplete surgical left atrial appendage closure.

Surgical left atrial appendage (LAA) exclusion has a failure rate as high as 60% due to persistent residual flow in the LAA or large LAA remnants. We describe a novel technique for treatment of incomplete surgical LAA ligation, and define the mechanism that led to persistence of the remnant LAA without any thrombus formation.

Low profile vascular plugs for paravalvular leaks after TAVR.

Background: Paravalvular leak (PVL) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is associated with less good outcomes. The use of percutaneous plugs is among the strategies to treat PVL after TAVR. Plugs have been limited by the need to pass 4-6 F delivery sheaths between the TAVR stent frame and the native valve leaflets.

Antegrade approach for TAVR with total occlusion of the descending aorta.

The antegrade approach for aortic valve interventions is well known but has not been widely used for transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) procedures. We encountered a patient with no possibility of retrograde access due to a totally occluded abdominal aorta who had a failed attempt at apical TAVR. We describe antegrade TAVR despite occlusion of the abdominal aorta, with the arterial limb of the requisite veno-arterial loop created using bilateral arm access, a novel version of the previously described antegrade approach.

High pacing rates for management of aortic insufficiency after balloon aortic valvuloplasty or transcatheter aortic valve replacement.

Aortic insufficiency (AI) after transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is difficult to manage when associated with congestive heart failure. AI after balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) may be catastrophic, especially in patients who are not candidates for TAVR. We describe the use of urgent temporary pacing, followed by permanent pacing, to increase the heart rate to diminish diastolic filling time for the short term management of AI after BAV or TAVR.

Fluoroscopically-guided micropuncture femoral artery access for large-caliber sheath insertion.

Over the last decade, significant developments have been made in the treatment of structural heart disease. Some of these techniques require placement of large arterial sheaths for device delivery. Optimal vascular access is essential for successful large-vessel sheath insertion as well as to avoid vascular complications.

Cardiac MRI documented left ventricular thrombus complicating acute Takotsubo syndrome: an uncommon dilemma.

Transient left ventricular apical hypokinesis results in a typical ampullary shape and has been described as Takotsubo cardiomyopathy (TCM). We report a case of TCM with the rare complication of left ventricular thrombus formation. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging aided the diagnosis by characterizing the non-enhancing mass and evaluating the surrounding myocardium for scarring.

Successful closure of a giant true saphenous vein graft aneurysm using the Amplatzer vascular plug.

An 85-year-old man was found to have a 9 cm diameter true aneurysm of an obtuse marginal saphenous vein graft. The graft was fed by a relatively narrow neck from the proximal remnant of the obtuse marginal graft 10 years after prior coronary artery bypass graft surgery. An Amplatzer vascular plug was used successfully to occlude the neck of the aneurysm.

Percutaneous closure of an aorta to left atrium fistula with an Amplatzer duct occluder.

We describe percutaneous closure of an unusual paravalvular leak, with a communication from the noncoronary cusp of the aortic valve to the left atrium adjacent to a St. Jude mitral valve prosthesis, in the absence of an infection. The patient presented with worsening dyspnea and edema.

Percutaneous balloon aortic valvuloplasty: antegrade transseptal vs. conventional retrograde transarterial approach.

Percutaneous balloon aortic valvuloplasty (BAV) has been limited predominantly to a palliative treatment for poor surgical candidates with critical aortic stenosis and multiple high-risk or comorbid conditions. The most commonly used technique for BAV is the retrograde approach, in which the balloon is passed via the femoral artery using 12-14 Fr sheaths. We compared an antegrade transseptal approach using the Inoue balloon vs.