The Heart Team during the Pandemic: A Case Report of Bio-Prosthesis Degeneration Treated with Valve in Valve Implantation.

Abstract

The pandemic changed the type of patients. The concept of "patient at the center" became concrete. The execution of simple consultancy was overcome to create effective collaboration and fruitful exchanges between specialists. The "Heart Team" model is on increasing affirmation. The TEAM-BASED approach in the cardiology field is successfully used in patients suffering from ischemic heart disease and valvulopathies for the choice of possible treatments. Degenerative type Sao is the most frequent valvulopathy among the valvulopathies in Western countries and its incidence is correlated with age. In high-risk patients, percutaneous valve replacement (transcatheter aortic valve implantation) is the most valid therapeutic option. The implantation of biological prostheses raises the problem of both degeneration and dysfunction of the prosthesis itself over time in subjects of advanced age and with comorbidities. In this scenario, valve-in-valve (VinV) is a valid therapeutic alternative in high-risk patients. A clinical case of aortic prosthetic degeneration, as an outcome of endocarditis, treated with VinV is presented. The therapeutic decision was made by an "Electronic Heart Team" which represents a further evolution of the treatment pathways and reduces the distance between the specialists in "Hub" Centers and the "Spoke" center.