Minimally Invasive Direct Access Balloon-Expandable Transcatheter Mitral Valve Replacement for Extensive Mitral Annular Calcification after Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement.

Mitral annular calcification can pose a formidable surgical challenge in the setting of mitral valve replacement for mitral stenosis. Although there are reports of transapical valve-in-valve transcatheter mitral valve replacement in the setting of degenerated bioprosthetic mitral valve replacement, there is less experience with transcatheter mitral valve replacement for mitral annular calcification. This report describes a patient who previously received a transcatheter aortic valve replacement and then subsequently underwent a minimally invasive right thoracotomy for transcatheter mitral valve replacement with a successful result. We discuss technical pearls and operative considerations based on an extensive experience with minimally invasive valve surgery from a right mini-thoracotomy.