TRANS-CATHETER CLOSURE OF NATIVE AORTIC VALVE WITH AMPLATZER OCCLUDER IN A LVAD PATIENT: STILL A RELIABLE OPTION?

Severe aortic regurgitation (AR) may occur in left ventricular assist device (LVAD) recipients. Its development is associated with increased morbidity and mortality due to timely ineffective left ventricular unloading. The optimal treatment strategy for AR remains debated, as redo open-heart surgery still results to be a high-risk procedure. We describe the case of a 68-year-old man presenting with severe AR in a native aortic valve following continuous flow LVAD (CF-LVAD) implantation, who was not suitable for transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI). Initially, he was treated by closing the aortic valve with a percutaneous aortic valve occluder (Amplatzer device) in the hybrid operating room. Ninety days later AR relapsed and he subsequently underwent surgical aortic valve replacement.