Researchers may have found a way to boost the success of transcatheter aortic valve replacements, thanks to advances in 3-D printing technology.

Share on Pinterest Researchers say that their 3-D-printed heart valve models (shown here) could improve the outcomes of heart valve replacements.

Image credit: Rob Felt



In a new study published in JACC: Cardiovascular Imaging, researchers reveal the creation of 3-D printed models that could enable doctors to predict how well a prosthetic heart valve will fit a patient, reducing their likelihood of paravalvular leakage.

Transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR) is a surgical procedure used to treat patients with aortic valve disease, whereby the function of the aortic valve – that is, the valve between the left ventricle and the aorta – is impaired.

TAVR – also referred to as transcatheter aortic valve implantation – is a minimally invasive procedure. It involves inserting a replacement prosthetic aortic valve into the damaged aortic valve through a catheter. Once inserted, the prosthetic valve expands and takes on the job of a healthy aortic valve.

While TAVR is a safer alternative for patients at high risk of complications with open heart surgery, it is not risk-free.

One complication of TAVR is paravalvular leakage, whereby blood leaks from the prosthetic aortic valve and flows around it, rather than through it. This may raise the risk of endocarditis – an infection of the inner lining of the heart – and heart failure.

Paravalvular leakage most commonly occurs when the prosthetic valve fails to achieve a precise fit within the patient’s damaged aortic valve. As such, there is a need to find better ways to predict the fit of a prosthetic valve.

Study co-author Zhen Qian, chief of Cardiovascular Imaging Research at Piedmont Heart Institute in Atlanta, GA, and colleagues have developed 3-D heart valve models that they believe could meet this need.