How should I treat prosthetic tricuspid stenosis in an extreme surgical risk patient?

BACKGROUND

A 64-year-old female with rheumatic heart disease and multiple prior valve replacements presented with progressive oedema, ascites and dyspnoea on exertion.

INVESTIGATION: Physical examination, transthoracic echocardiography, intracardiac echocardiography, transoesophageal echocardiography, right heart cathetherisation, computed tomography.

DIAGNOSIS: She had a mitral homograft and Physio ring in the tricuspid position, and presented with severe bioprosthetic tricuspid valve stenosis (mean gradient 16 mmHg) and right-sided heart failure.

TREATMENT: A transcatheter 26 mm Edwards SAPIEN valve was placed in the tricuspid position, resulting in near normalisation of tricuspid valve gradient. This represents the first report of a combined valve-in-ring (VIR) and valve in a homograft valve (VIV) SAPIEN implantation.