Patent ID: 8613777

Claim:
A method for performing intravascular cardiac surgery in a heart having a pressure, a volume and a cardiac output, the method comprising: providing a micro axial pump fastened to a catheter and having a tubular pump portion with an intake portion and an outlet portion and a dilating device thereon; providing a flexible cardiac valve prosthesis; mounting said flexible cardiac valve prosthesis in a folded condition within a tubular expandable stent; placing said stent on said tubular pump portion such that said cardiac valve is situated on said dilating device; positioning said micro axial pump in the aortal valve of a patient heart such that said intake portion is within the left ventricle of the patient heart, while said outlet is within the aorta; driving the micro axial pump at a rate sufficient to relieve the heart of excessive blood volume and pressure caused by the positioning of the pump with the stent and valve prosthesis mounted thereto in the aortal valve, wherein the micro axial pump conveys the cardiac output; and expanding said tubular stent radially, to thereby break open a stenosis in the natural cardiac valve and position and fix said stent with said cardiac valve prosthesis within the aortal valve.