AltaValve Atrial Fixation System for the Treatment of Severe Mitral Regurgitation and Mitral Annular Calcification

Background: Treatment options for patients with mitral regurgitation (MR) and mitral annular calcification (MAC) are limited. The limitations of current transcatheter mitral valve replacement (TMVR) technologies include high screen failure rates, increased risk of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction, and high residual regurgitation. The aim of this study was to evaluate outcomes of TMVR with the AltaValve system (4C Medical, Maple Grove, MN), a supra-annular TMVR with atrial fixation, in patients with severe MR and moderate or severe MAC. Methods: Six patients with moderate or severe MAC who were treated with AltaValve TMVR had procedural and mid-term outcomes available. Results: Technical success was achieved in all patients. Median follow-up was 232 days. At discharge, 80% of patients had none/trace MR, and 20% had mild MR. There was no intraprocedural mortality, device malposition, embolization, or thrombosis. One patient expired 3 days postprocedure due to complications related to the transapical access. All other patients were discharged from the hospital without issues. Echocardiography assessments at 30 days showed complete resolution of MR in all patients, with 1 patient with mild MR and a mean mitral valve gradient of 3.7 ± 1.4 mmHg. All patients were in New York Heart Association Class I/II at 30-day follow-up, showing marked improvement as compared with baseline. Conclusions: In patients with severe MR and severe MAC, the AltaValve TMVR technology may represent a viable treatment option. The atrial fixation minimizes the risk of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction and potentially expands treatable patients, especially in patients with MAC.