ABSTRACT
Introduction Over the last few decades, percutaneous transcatheter valve replacement has moved from being experimental to routine practice in dened patient groups. Transcatheter valve replacement of the arterial valves has led the way with the recognition that suitable landing zones or anchor points enable safe delivery of percutaneous valves.1 In the case of the pulmonary valve and right ventricle (RV)-topulmonary artery (PA) connection, most of the patients will have had previous surgical interventions; however, in the aortic position, the great majority of interventions are in the native calcied aortic valve. To date, animal work on the native atrioventricular connection has not translated to human practice.2 However, it was inevitable that with the surgical creation of an anchor point in the previously operated atrioventricular valve connection that technically, it would be possible to rehabilitate a previously inserted bioprosthesis by utilizing a valve-in-valve strategy.3 Early reports of the feasibility of transcatheter bioprosthetic tricuspid valve rehabilitation were initially hybrid and subsequently, percutaneous strategies were introduced using Edwards valves.3-5
e rst percutaneous tricuspid valve rehabilitation using the Melody valve was performed by Cheatham and Zahn (personal communication) with the rst case report and series reported by Roberts et al.6,7 As with most lowvolume procedures, cardiac centers regularly performing arterial valve implants will have a small number of patients who have undergone a percutaneous atrioventricular valve replacement or rehabilitation. Although this has been demonstrated as technically feasible, there is no published data as to the long-term outcome for this patient group and meaningful numbers are only likely to be achieved with a multicenter collaboration.
