How to Remove the CoreValve Aortic Bioprosthesis in a Case of Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement

Transcatheter aortic valve implantation has been introduced as a treatment modality applied to high-risk surgery patients with severe symptomatic aortic stenosis, and it has been demonstrated to be an efficient and safe treatment option. Litzler and colleagues reported a case of a bailout of a transcatheter aortic valve implantation because of severe paravalvular leaks, using a 23-mm Edwards-SAPIEN Valve (Edwards Lifesciences, Irvine, CA), with conversion to conventional surgical aortic valve replacement. The authors reported an easy valve removal despite the impaction of the stent in the cusps of the native valve. Thyregod and colleagues reported a surgical valve replacement in a patient with a dysfunctional CoreValve self-expanding aortic valve bioprosthesis 4 months after implantation. (Ann Thorac Surg 2012;93:329-30) (C) 2012 by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons