Method for treating an aortic valve

摘要

Expandable, percutaneously deployable, prosthetic heart valves and systems for minimally invasive replacement of damaged or diseased native aortic valves comprise an expandable, tubular stent body and a unidirectional valve assembly. Embodiments of the stent body comprise an annulus anchoring section, a sinus section, and an outflow section, with the outflow section flared outwardly from the sinus section in an expanded configuration. Embodiments of the stent body are self-expanding, comprising, for example nitinol. The valve assembly disposed within the sinus section of the stent body and sutured thereto. Embodiments of the valve assembly comprise three leaflets, each leaflet comprising a curved outer edge sutured to the sinus section of the stent body, and a coapting free edge. Embodiments of the valve leaflets comprise pericardium, for example, porcine pericardium. Embodiments of the prosthetic heart valve have a contracted configuration dimensioned for percutaneous delivery thereof.

主权项

1. A method for treating a damaged or diseased native aortic valve, the method comprising:
inserting a delivery catheter into a patient; loading a prosthetic heart valve in a contracted configuration into the delivery catheter, the prosthetic heart valve comprising a one-way valve structure and a one-piece, tubular stent body defining a flow orifice therethrough, the tubular stent body comprising, from an inflow end to an outflow end thereof, an annulus anchoring section, a sinus section, and an outflow section, the one-way valve structure disposed within the sinus section, wherein the valve structure comprises three bovine pericardium membranes disposed within the sinus section of the tubular stent body, each membrane comprising a free edge and an outer edge portion, the free edges of the membranes meeting in the flow orifice and coapting with each other in a closed position and flexing open against the tubular stent body in an open position, the outer edge portions of the membranes sutured to the sinus section, the free edges meeting one another at axially extending commissures of the sinus section; positioning a distal end of the delivery catheter adjacent a native aortic valve; retracting the delivery catheter relative to the prosthetic heart valve, thereby delivering the prosthetic heart valve from the distal end of the delivery catheter into an annulus of the native aortic valve; expanding the annulus anchoring section of the tubular stent body into an expanded configuration in the annulus of the native aortic valve, thereby anchoring the annulus anchoring section in the annulus and compressing native leaflets of the aortic valve; and expanding an outflow section of the tubular stent body into an expanded configuration in an ascending aorta, the outflow section flaring outwardly from the sinus section, the outflow section conforming to and contacting the ascending aorta, thereby stabilizing the prosthetic heart valve.