Patent ID: 8252051

Claim:
A method of implanting a prosthetic mitral valve assembly, comprising: placing a suture at an apex of a heart into which the mitral valve is to be implanted; inserting a delivery catheter through the apex of the heart at the suture location, the delivery catheter including the prosthetic mitral valve assembly in a collapsed state, the prosthetic mitral valve assembly including a first pulmonary vein stent comprising a self-expanding metal lattice, a second pulmonary vein stent comprising a self-expanding metal lattice, a self-expanding mitral valve stent, a first anchoring arm coupling the first pulmonary vein stent and the mitral valve stent, and a second anchoring arm coupled between the second pulmonary vein stent and the mitral valve stent; positioning the first pulmonary vein stent in a first pulmonary vein, the first pulmonary vein stent being coupled to a first end of the first anchoring arm; advancing the first pulmonary vein stent from the delivery catheter; radially expanding the first pulmonary vein stent to anchor it entirely within the first pulmonary vein; positioning the second pulmonary vein stent in a second pulmonary vein, the second pulmonary vein stent coupled to a first end of the second anchoring arm; advancing the second pulmonary vein stent from the delivery catheter; radially expanding the second pulmonary vein stent, thereby anchoring the second pulmonary vein stent entirely within the second pulmonary vein; after expanding the first pulmonary vein stent and the second pulmonary vein stent, positioning the mitral valve stent coupled to a second end of the first anchoring arm and a second end of the second anchoring arm in a native mitral valve; advancing an inner catheter shaft of the delivery catheter relative to an outer catheter shaft thereof, thereby advancing the mitral valve stent from the delivery catheter; releasing extension arms extending from a lower end of the mitral valve stent from engagement with the inner catheter shaft; radially expanding the mitral valve stent to contact an upper portion thereof against a wall of the left atrium, to anchor prongs extending from and integral with a tapered middle portion thereof against the wall of the left atrium, and to contact a lower portion thereof within an annulus of the native mitral valve, a circumference of the lower portion less than a circumference of the upper portion, the mitral valve stent including a pericardium sheet coupled to an inner surface thereof and a prosthetic valve comprising a plurality of pericardium leaflets disposed in the lower portion thereof, with the first pulmonary vein stent and the second pulmonary vein stent further securing the mitral valve stent in place through coupling of the first anchoring arm and the second anchoring arm between the first and second pulmonary vein stents and the mitral valve stent; and removing the delivery catheter through the apex of the heart and closing the suture.