St. Jude Medical (St. Paul, Minnesota) reported the first patient implants in the Portico Re-sheathable Transcatheter Aortic Valve System U.S. investigational device exemption (IDE) trial (PORTICO trial). The trial is evaluating the Portico transcatheter aortic valve system, an aortic heart valve designed to be repositionable until fully deployed. The trial will enroll patients who are considered to have a high or an extreme surgical risk, meaning they would not be considered for open-heart surgery.