title: Antegrade transcatheter aortic valve implantation using the looped Inoue balloon technique: A pilot study in a swine model.
abstract: Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) is an established therapy for patients who are inoperable or at high risk for open heart surgery. The retrograde transfemoral approach is the most widely used and is the first choice in TAVI. However, existence of peripheral vascular disease or a small iliofemoral artery often limits the application of the transfemoral approach. Transvenous antegrade transseptal TAVI is an attractive option, but has already been abandoned due to its technical complexities.
  
  
  
  We have previously described a novel technique to simplify antegrade transseptal balloon aortic valvuloplasty, which utilizes a custom-made Inoue balloon catheter with two stylets. The technique is named as the looped Inoue balloon technique, and its feasibility and efficacy were proven in an animal model and a clinical case. We applied this technique to TAVI. The present study aimed to assess the feasibility of the looped Inoue balloon technique for TAVI in two healthy pigs. The valve implantation was successful in both pigs, although the pigs died soon after the implantation (2 and 24h). The causes of death were access site bleeding (Case 1) and migration of the prosthetic valve (Case 2).
  
  
  
  Although several improvements and further studies are required, the study results indicate that antegrade TAVI using the looped Inoue balloon technique is feasible.
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Kenji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nakatsuma
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan. Electronic address: naritatu@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Naritatsu
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Bingyuan
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Bao
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Erika
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Shin
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Watanabe
authors.affiliation: Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Takeshi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.affiliation: PTMC Institute, Kyoto, Japan.
authors.forename: Kanji
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Inoue
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001021:Aortic Valve / Q000601:surgery; D006328:Cardiac Catheterization / Q000379:methods*; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D023421:Models, Animal; D010865:Pilot Projects; D013552:Swine; D065467:Transcatheter Aortic Valve Replacement / Q000379:methods*; D016896:Treatment Outcome
keywords: Aortic valve disease; New devices; Transcatheter valve implantation