Patent ID: 8377118

Claim:
A method for replacing a patient's native aortic heart valve in a heart, the method comprising: delivering an implantable expandable carrier element and an implantable replacement valve having leaflets endovascularly to a vicinity of the native aortic heart valve while the heart is beating, the carrier element having proximal and distal ends, the replacement valve configured to allow the flow of blood through the replacement valve in a first direction and prevents the flow of blood through the replacement valve in a second direction; positioning the proximal and distal ends of the carrier element proximate opposing sides of the native aortic heart valve; expanding the carrier element from a collapsed delivery configuration to a first expanded configuration; using the carrier element to exclude the native aortic heart valve in the first expanded configuration, forming a seal between the carrier element and one or more native anatomical features in the first expanded configuration; using the leaflets of the replacement valve to replace leaflet actuation of the native aortic heart valve in the first expanded configuration; evaluating the position of the carrier element; at least partially collapsing the carrier element from the first expanded configuration to a moveable configuration, a length of the carrier element in the moveable configuration being substantially equal to or less than a length of the carrier element in the first expanded configuration; repositioning the carrier element in the moveable configuration in the vicinity of the native aortic heart valve; expanding the carrier element from the moveable configuration to a second expanded configuration to secure the carrier element in the vicinity of the native aortic heart valve, the proximal and distal ends of the carrier element being proximate opposing sides of the native aortic heart valve in the second expanded configuration; using the carrier element to exclude the native aortic heart valve in the second expanded configuration; forming a seal between the carrier element and one or more anatomical features in the second expanded configuration; and using the leaflets of the replacement valve to replace leaflet actuation of the native aortic heart valve in the second expanded configuration.