Percutaneous pulmonary polyurethane valved stent implantation

Area of Science:

• Cardiovascular Surgery
• Biomedical Engineering
• Interventional Cardiology

Background:

• Transfemoral pulmonary heart valve implantation has been explored for a decade.
• Significant limitations persist regarding the size of percutaneous heart valve stents.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate a novel, low-profile polyurethane valved stent for percutaneous pulmonary valve replacement.
• To assess the feasibility and efficacy of this new stent in a sheep model.

Main Methods:

• A novel self-expanding nitinol stent with a polyurethane valve was developed.
• The stent was implanted percutaneously in the pulmonary position in 7 sheep using a 14F delivery device.
• Transthoracic echocardiography, angiography, and macroscopic/microscopic analysis were used for evaluation.

Main Results:

• Successful orthotopic stent placement was confirmed in all animals.
• Low transvalvular gradients were observed, with competent neovalves and no paravalvular leakage at 1-month follow-up.
• The explanted constructs showed good valve function and no signs of calcification.

Conclusions:

• The study successfully demonstrated the integration of novel technologies for percutaneous pulmonary valve treatment.
• Polyurethane stent valve constructs represent a promising approach for addressing pulmonary valve diseases.