Patent ID: 8092521

Claim:
A method of treating a native aortic valve, comprising: positioning an expandable first stent adjacent the native aortic valve, the first stent having a first attachment element disposed adjacent a distal end of the first stent and at least one positioning element disposed adjacent a proximal end of the first stent, wherein the proximal end of the first stent is positioned closer to a patient's heart than the distal end of the first stent; positioning the at least one positioning element behind a portion of a leaflet of the native valve, radially outward from the leaflet and radially inward from a portion of a vessel wall; anchoring the first stent relative to the native aortic valve by expanding the first stent; after expanding the first stent, positioning an expandable second stent radially within the first stent to connect the second stent to the first stent, the second stent having a second attachment element disposed adjacent a distal end of the second stent, wherein the proximal end of the second stent is positioned closer to the patient's heart than the distal end of the second stent; and compressing at least a portion of a leaflet of the native valve against a vessel wall such that the compressed portion of the leaflet is positioned radially inward from the at least one positioning element of the first stent and radially outward from a portion of the second stent component; wherein the first and second attachment elements are complimentary to one another.