Transcatheter aortic valve implantation in a very young patient

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is the standard treatment for patients with severe aortic stenosis and unacceptable surgical risk. These are usually elderly patients with multiple comorbidities. We report the case of a 20-year-old man with mandibuloacral dysplasia, an extremely rare premature ageing syndrome, and severe symptomatic aortic stenosis, referred to our center for TAVI after being considered unsuitable for surgical aortic valve replacement. TAVI by a transfemoral approach was performed successfully. Severe acute respiratory failure that did not respond to optimal conventional treatment led us to employ venovenous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. The device was removed after 10 days, and the patient was discharged home 27 days later. At one-year follow-up he is in NYHA class I with full functional autonomy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the youngest patient to undergo TAVI reported in the literature. (C) 2013 Sociedade Portuguesa de Cardiologia. Published by Elsevier Espana, S.L. All rights reserved.