Predicted Coronary Occlusion and Impella Salvage During Valve-in-Valve Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

We describe an interesting case of a 71 years old fragile female, with progressive shortness of breath on exertion and ankle swelling, cardiac failure NYHA class III. She also had chest irradiation due to Hodgkin's disease many years before, previous surgical aortic valve replacement using bioprosthetic stent-less Freestyle #25 mm valve (Medtronic, Inc) in 2000 for severe aortic stenosis, history of cardiac arrest in 2012 and angioplasty to ostial RCA, PCI to ostial RCA in 2014, CABG (RA graft to RCA) in 2014 (RCA intra-stent restenosis with refractory ischemia), anemia requiring regular transfusions, bronchiectasis and chronic kidney disease. Because of the great comorbidities, STS 4.9% and worsening of the symptoms due to severe aortic valve regurgitation, heart team decided to perform “valve-in-valve” Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement (VIV-TAVR), but we already predicted coronary occlusion while performing this procedure because of the low left main coronary ostium and short aortic valve sinus. So regarding the probable left main coronary occlusion during the valve implantation, we decided to perform the placement of a not deployed stent inside the left main prior to the valve procedure, and to deploy it in case the predicted left main occlusion occurred. So just after the VIV-TAVR procedure, we observed left main coronary occlusion and the patient got ischemic cardiogenic shock and cardiac arrest, so we performed immediate PCI and deployed the bailout stent. After some minutes of chest compressions, an Impella mechanical circulatory support system (Abiomed, Danvers, MA) had to be installed. Patient recovered spontaneous circulation, and after hemodynamic stabilization, she was sent to the Intensive Coronary Unit, without further complications. She was discharged successfully without neurological or cardiac sequelae after 1 week.