Published online Oct 26, 2015. doi: 10.4330/wjc.v7.i10.695
Peer-review started: January 30, 2015
First decision: April 27, 2015
Revised: May 29, 2015
Accepted: September 7, 2015
Article in press: September 9, 2015
Published online: October 26, 2015
To describe preliminary experience of percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation, in a single pulmonary branch position. Two procedures in 2 patients from a single center are described, where implantation of percutaneous valves within a single pulmonary artery branch was technically successful. The procedural indication was pulmonary valve regurgitation and/or residual stenosis. The 2 patients were symptomatic. An Edwards Sapien™ valve (Patient 1), and a Medtronic Melody™ valve (Patient 2) were implanted. Both pts were discharged with an excellent valve function. In this report it is underlined that this modality is technically feasible and may be considered an option in patients with congenital heart defect under special circumstances.
Core tip: Today MelodyVR valve (Medtronic, Minneapolis, MN) and the SAPIENTM transcatheter heart valve valve (Edwards Lifesciences LLC, Irvine, CA) are available to use in patients with a conduit connecting the right ventricle to the main pulmonary arteries (PA). However, given the anatomic variability of the right ventricular outflow tract and the concomitant occurrence of branch PA disease frequently encountered in this patient population, alternative approaches to valve replacement needs to be explored. In order to solve this problem we use a different approach implementing percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation, in a single pulmonary branch position.