Replacement heart valve implant with leaflet pinning expandable framework

A replacement heart valve comprising:

• an expandable framework including a plurality of struts defining at least first and second circumferential rows of diamond shaped cells around a central longitudinal axis defining an inflow end and an opposite outflow end, the plurality of struts defining a plurality of stabilization arches extending downstream from the outflow end;
• and
• a plurality of valve leaflets disposed within a central lumen of the expandable framework and coupled to the expandable framework;
• wherein the first circumferential row of cells defines a plurality of lower crowns at the inflow end, and the second circumferential row of cells defines a plurality of upper crowns at the outflow end, wherein the cells of the first and second circumferential rows each have a lower point and an upper point;
• wherein the lower point of at least some of the cells in the second circumferential row is a free point devoid of attachment to any other strut and extends radially outward beyond a radially outer surface of any strut immediately below in an axial direction.

A method of implanting a replacement heart valve within a patient's native heart valve, comprising:

• advancing a replacement heart valve through a patient's vasculature and upstream into the patient's native heart valve, the replacement heart valve including:
• an expandable framework and replacement valve secured thereto, the expandable framework including a plurality of struts defining a lattice structure around a central longitudinal axis, the lattice structure defining an inflow end and an opposite outflow end, the plurality of struts defining a plurality of stabilization arches extending downstream from the outflow end of the lattice structure;
• wherein the plurality of struts defines a plurality of lower crowns defining the inflow end and a plurality of upper crowns defining the outflow end;
• wherein the lattice structure includes a first circumferential row of cells defining the lower crowns and the inflow end and a second circumferential row of cells defining the upper crowns and the outflow end, wherein the cells of the first and second circumferential rows each have a lower point and an upper point;
• wherein the lower point of at least some of the cells in the second circumferential row is a free point devoid of attachment to any other strut and extends radially outward beyond a radially outer surface of all struts immediately below in an axial direction;
• and
• positioning the expandable framework to pin at least one leaflet of the native heart valve between the free point and the struts below the free point.