How to Manage Mitral Stenosis Due to Mitral Annular Calcification

Purpose of review: Mitral annular calcification (MAC) is associated with cardiovascular comorbidities and events and in the presence of mitral stenosis (MS) represents a high-risk cohort with limited treatment options. Emerging hybrid, minimally invasive, and transcatheter therapies that use circumferential MAC as an anchor for mitral valve replacement are emerging, but none are consistently associated with ideal outcomes.

Recent findings: In patients with MAC and nonrheumatic calcific mitral stenosis who are severely symptomatic, mitral intervention may be indicated. Surgical decalcification and replacement of the mitral valve remains the conventional therapy. Surgical techniques to avoid decalcification are being described including a left atrium to left ventricular apex graft conduit. Transcatheter balloon-expandable valves designed for the aortic valve have been implanted in the mitral position in MAC with a surgical direct transatrial transcatheter approach or transseptal transcatheter approach. Left ventricular outflow tract (LVOT) obstruction remains prevalent and associated with increased mortality. Direct transatrial approach allows for surgical resection of the anterior leaflet to mitigate this risk, and percutaneous therapies to lacerate the anterior leaflet or to ablate the basal septum are being developed. Cardiac computed tomography has emerged as a requisite for patient selection and procedural planning and has powerful predictive value for LVOT obstruction and valve embolization in valve-in-MAC. Novel transcatheter valves designed specifically for the mitral space are being studied in patients with MAC. MAC with mitral stenosis remains a challenging disease. Advances in technique, technology, and imaging may create new and reproducible treatment options with low procedural mortality for this challenging disease entity.