Successful minimal approach transcatheter aortic valve replacement in an allograft heart recipient 19 years post transplantation for severe aortic stenosis: A case report

BACKGROUND: Aortic stenosis is one of the rare valvular complications in a transplanted heart. Over the past 8 years, transcatheter approach for aortic valve replacement (TAVR) has been slowly evolving to be the preferred approach in these patient population when compared to the surgical approach. We report a second case in the United States with successful transfemoral minimal approach with minimal sedation for TAVR in a heart transplant recipient 19 years post transplantation for severe symptomatic calcified aortic stenosis. CASE SUMMARY: We present a case of 73-year-old male who has undergone successful minimal approach transcatheter aortic valve replacement in an allograft heart. Patient had received orthotopic heart transplantation 19 years ago for non-ischemic cardiomyopathy. Follow up transthoracic echocardiograms as per routine protocol did not show any aortic valve disease until 15 years post transplantation. Aortic valve was noted to be mildly sclerotic at that time and gradually progressed to severe symptomatic aortic stenosis over the next 4 years. Patient had complaints of worsening shortness of breath that limited his functional capacity. Overall his post heart transplantation period has been mostly uneventful except for allograft non occlusive vasculopathy and aortic stenosis. His Society of Thoracic Surgery risk score was 12.205% and he was considered to be a high-risk surgical candidate by surgeon. Decision was made to undergo transcatheter aortic valve replacement. CONCLUSION: With the improved survival of these patients, we think it is time to look into pathophysiology of valvular disease in transplant heart recipients. Some other unanswered questions include, underlying donor and recipient risk factors for valvular diseases in heart transplant recipients.