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Bioprosthetic tissue valves can deteriorate with time and eventually fail contributing to regurgitation and/or stenosis.Structural valve deterioration (svd) is the most common reason for bioprosthesis explants/replacements and encompasses multiple failure modes, including calcification, non-calcific degeneration, dehiscence, cusp thickening or fibrosis, or a combination of these.Such failure modes may occur singularly or concomitantly.In this case, calcification was indicated.Calcification plays a major role in the failure of bioprosthetic heart valves.Calcification of valves occurs as a progressive, time-dependent process.Tissue valve calcification is initiated primarily within residual cells that have been devitalized.Initial calcification deposits eventually enlarge and grow into a mass, which stiffen and weaken the tissue and thereby cause the prosthesis to malfunction.The mineralization of a biomaterial is generally enhanced at the sites of intense mechanical deformations generated by motion, such as the points of flexion in heart valves.Ultimately, the result of calcification is valve failure due to tearing or stenosis.Many factors contribute to the onset and propagation of calcification.These include patient factors (age, disease state, pharmacological intervention, etc.), mechanical stress related to the valve's hemodynamic performance, and glutaraldehyde fixation of tissue.Of these, the fixation process is a relatively minor contributor to calcification for edwards' tissue valves due to anti-calcification treatments during manufacturing.Though numerous studies have been conducted on preventive calcification strategies in bioprosthetic heart valves, the causes of calcification are not fully understood and there are still no mechanisms or medical therapies which fully prevent bioprosthesis from calcifying.The root cause of this event was due to patient related factors.The calcification observed in this case was due to a progression of the patient's underlying valvular disease pathology combined with the patient's other underlying risk factors.Edwards will continue to review and monitor all reported events.Trends are monitored on a monthly basis and if action is required, appropriate investigation will be performed.
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Through clinical safety, it was reported that a patient with a 33mm 6900p mitral valve underwent a valve-in-valve procedure after an implant duration of 14 years due to severe mitral regurgitation, mild mitral stenosis, thickening, and torn leaflet secondary to calcification.The tmvr was performed with a 29mm 9600tfx transcatheter valve.There were no complications noted.The patient was transferred to the icu in stable condition post procedure.The patient was discharged on pod #4 in stable condition.
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