Catheter-based closure of aortic and mitral paravalvular leaks: existing techniques and new frontiers

Introduction: Significant paravalvular leak (PVL) complicates between 6% and 15% of valve replacements and can result in heart failure and hemolysis. Paravalvular leak can be effectively treated with repeat surgery; however, these procedures are associated with significant operative morbidity. Percutaneous PVL closure is increasingly being utilized as the first line therapy for symptomatic patients, but efficacy may be limited by the lack of...