Patent ID: 11963870
Assignee: EDWARDS LIFESCIENCES CORPORATION
Field: Medical technology (Instruments)
Classification: CPC A | IPC A

Claim 13:
14. A method of replacing a native heart valve within a heart, the method comprising:
introducing at least one guide catheter into the heart;
advancing a first guide wire through the at least one guide catheter into the heart;
advancing the first guide wire around a portion of a first leaflet of the native heart valve;
capturing a distal end of the first guide wire and pulling the distal end of the first guide wire into the at least one guide catheter to loop the first guide wire around the first leaflet;
advancing a second guide wire through the at least one guide catheter into the heart;
advancing the second guide wire around a portion of a second leaflet of the native heart valve;
capturing a distal end of the second guide wire and pulling the distal end of the second guide wire into the at least one guide catheter to loop the second guide wire around the second leaflet;
advancing a first leaflet brace over the first guide wire to position the first leaflet brace adjacent to the first leaflet;
advancing a second leaflet brace over the second guide wire to position the second leaflet brace adjacent to the second leaflet;
securing a first end of each of the first leaflet brace and the second leaflet brace to a first fastener;
securing a second end of each of the first leaflet brace and the second leaflet brace to a second fastener; and
deploying a replacement heart valve within the native heart valve, thereby capturing the first leaflet between the first leaflet brace and a first portion of an exterior surface of the replacement heart valve, and capturing the second leaflet between the second leaflet brace and a second portion of the exterior surface of the replacement heart valve.