[Use of stents in pediatric cardiology. Initial results]

Balloon-expandable stents are useful in treating vascular stenotic lesions associated with congenital heart defects. We report our experience of this device since 1997.

Seventeen stents were implanted in 12 children in 13 procedures. The mean age of the patients was 82 months (range: 2-168 months). Eight patients had postsurgical stenoses in branch pulmonary arteries, three patients had aortic re-coarctation and one patient had a ductus-dependent complex heart defect. In the first eight patients we performed right catheterization, following the usual technique of percutaneous implantation with super-stiff wire and Mullins sheath. In the remaining patients, vascular access was through the femoral artery. The Palmaz stent was used in 13 patients, Express stents in three and Intrastent in one patient.

After stent implantation, the diameter of the narrowings increased from 3.1 mm (2.8-5.6) to 12 mm (10-15) (p < 0.002) and the gradient was reduced from 32 mmHg (21-45) to 8.5 mmHg (0-11.5) (p < 0.002). In the patient with ductus-dependent heart defect, the procedure allowed prostaglandin E1 withdrawal and hospital discharge. After a mean follow-up of 27 months (range: 1-60 months) one occurrence of late complete occlusion of branch pulmonary artery and one case of side-branch partial occlusion (right superior lobe branch) have been detected. One patient died from causes unrelated to the stent (prior cardiogenic shock). The remaining patients are asymptomatic and medication free.

The stent is a safe and effective device that could be used in a wide variety of stenotic vascular lesions.