Obstruction of 2 Coronary Arteries from Different Causes Immediately after Transapical Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement

Abstract

Coronary obstruction, a rare complication of transcatheter aortic valve replacement, can be fatal. Few data exist on this phenomenon, and, to date, authors have reported only single coronary lesions. We present a case in which 2 coronary arteries obstructed immediately after transapical transcatheter aortic valve replacement. The patient was an 81-year-old woman with symptomatic severe aortic stenosis who underwent transapical transcatheter aortic valve replacement. Immediately after an Edwards Sapien XT valve was deployed, she experienced sudden cardiogenic shock resulting from obstruction of the left main coronary artery ostium and the distal left anterior descending coronary artery. The left main obstruction was caused by direct compression from a large calcified mass and the valve frame. The left anterior descending coronary artery obstruction was caused by ambient myocardial tightening and external compression around the apical sutures. Revascularization was achieved through coronary stent placement and suture removal, respectively. Our patient's case highlights the risk for coronary obstructions after transapical transcatheter aortic valve replacement, and we discuss how they can be managed.