Assembly of heart valves and intermediate adapter stent

An assembly of a primary prosthetic heart valve with a secondary prosthetic heart valve expanded therein, comprising:

• a surgical primary prosthetic heart valve adapted for post-implant expansion and having an inflow end and an outflow end, comprising a structural support stent defining an implant circumference that defines an orifice size of the primary prosthetic heart valve;
• an adapter stent configured to be delivered in a contracted state to a position within an implanted primary prosthetic heart valve and expanded within the primary prosthetic heart valve so as to contact an inner orifice thereof, the adapter stent comprising a generally tubular configuration of interconnected struts defining an inflow end and an outflow end, wherein the adapter stent is formed by a series of generally axially-oriented serpentine segments defining circumferential rows of connection points at and between the inflow end and the outflow end, the adapter stent having a plurality of outward barbs extending from connection points and arrayed evenly around the outflow end that project radially outwardly to interface with the primary prosthetic heart valve which comprises a plurality of leaflets and commissure posts and a plurality of inward barbs extending from connection points and arrayed evenly around the inflow end that project radially inwardly to interface with frame struts of a secondary prosthetic heart valve expanded therein, wherein the outward barbs are arrayed just around two circumferential rows of connection points adjacent the outflow end, and the inward barbs are arrayed just around two circumferential rows of connection points adjacent the inflow end;
• and
• the secondary prosthetic heart valve configured to be delivered in a contracted state to a position within the expanded adapter stent in contact with the primary prosthetic heart valve, the secondary prosthetic heart valve also being configured to expand outward into contact with the adapter stent.