Prosthetic heart valve system

A prosthetic heart valve system comprising:

• a prosthetic valve comprising a support frame and valve leaflets supported by the support frame;
• and
• a radially-expandable base stent adapted to anchor against a heart valve annulus, the base stent being radially expandable from a compressed configuration for delivery to the annulus to an expanded configuration for receiving the prosthetic valve;
• wherein the base stent in the expanded configuration has an outflow end having a first diameter and an inflow end having a second diameter smaller that the first diameter, the base stent in the expanded configuration also comprising an outflow end portion that tapers down to an inflow end portion, at least a portion of the outflow end portion having a tri-lobular shape, the outflow end being sized to allow the prosthetic valve to be inserted into the base stent such that the support frame can be mounted within the outflow end portion.

A prosthetic heart valve system comprising:

• a delivery apparatus comprising an expansion device having an outer mounting surface;
• and
• a radially-expandable stent mounted in a radially compressed state on the mounting surface of the expansion device, the stent being adapted to anchor against a heart valve annulus;
• the expansion device being configured to expand radially outward from a first, compressed configuration to a second, expanded configuration to expand the stent to an expanded state, the mounting surface being shaped to cause at least a portion of the stent to assume a tri-lobular cross-sectional profile when expanded.

A method of implanting a prosthetic heart valve system, comprising:

• advancing a base stent to an implant position adjacent a heart valve annulus;
• radially expanding the base stent so as to anchor the base stent to the heart valve annulus, the expanded base stent having an outflow end portion and an inflow end portion, at least a portion of the outflow end portion having a tri-lobular cross-sectional profile;
• providing a prosthetic valve having a non-expandable, non-collapsible ring and valve leaflets coupled to the ring;
• advancing the prosthetic valve into the outflow end portion of the base stent;
• and
• anchoring the prosthetic valve to the base stent.