Surgical Aortic Valve Replacement Following Early Sapien-XT Valve Failure: A First.

BACKGROUND: Early degeneration of prosthetic aortic valve in transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a rare complication.

METHOD: We report the case of a 75-year-old woman who presented with severe calcific stenosis of Edwards SAPIEN-XT valve implanted only 4 years previously. She is a Jehovah's Witness and has background of Sjogren's syndrome with secondary cryoglobulinaemic vasculitis. She was not a suitable candidate for valve-in-valve TAVR in view of early prosthetic valve failure by calcification.

RESULT: She underwent surgical explantation of the Sapiens XT valve and mechanical aortic valve replacement.

CONCLUSION: To our knowledge, this is the first time that early TAVR valve degeneration and failure of an Edwards SAPIEN-XT valve was reported which required surgical replacement with a mechanical valve.