Percutaneous transcatheter aortic disc valve prosthesis implantation: A feasibility study

Purpose: Over the past 30 years there have been experimental efforts at cat heter-based management of aortic valve regurgitation with the idea of exten ding treatment to nonsurgical candidates. A new catheter-based aortic valve design is described. Methods: The new catheter-delivered valve consists of a stent-based valve c age with locking mechanism and a prosthetic flexible tilting Valve disc. Th e valve cage is delivered first followed by deployment and locking of the d isc. In acute experiments, valve implantation was done in four dogs. Results: Valve implantation was successful in all four animals. The implant ed valve functioned well for the duration of the experiments (up to 3 hr). Conclusion: The study showed the implantation feasibility and short-term fu nction of the tested catheter-based aortic disc valve. Further experimental studies are warranted.