Redo mitral valve replacement using the valve-on-valve method.

Despite improvements in bioprosthetic valve function, increased human life-expectancy has led to a growing number of bioprosthetic valve deterioration cases requiring reoperation. We report 2 cases of primary tissue failure of a bioprosthetic valve, which were treated by mitral valve replacement using the valve-on-valve method. The reasons for the reoperations were a severely calcified valve annulus, and severe adhesion of a previous bioprosthetic valve. We removed only the leaflets of the bioprosthetic valve and sutured a Carbomedics OptiForm valve onto the sewing cuff of the previous bioprosthesis. No complications, including major cardiac events, were noted during the follow-up.