Percutaneous implantation of CoreValve aortic prostheses in patients with a mechanical mitral valve.

Concerns exist in the field of transcatheter aortic valve implantation regarding the treatment of patients with mechanical mitral valve for possible interference between the percutaneous aortic valve and the mechanical mitral prosthesis. We report our experience with percutaneous aortic valve implantation in 4 patients with severe aortic stenosis, previously operated on for mitral valve replacement with a mechanical prosthesis. All patients underwent uneventful percutaneous retrograde CoreValve implantation (CoreValve Inc, Irvine, CA). No deformation of the nitinol tubing of the prostheses (ie, neither distortion nor malfunction of the mechanical valve in the mitral position) occurred in any of the patients. All patients are alive and asymptomatic at a mean follow-up of 171 days.