Pulmonary Valve Replacement With Balloon-Expandable Prosthesis Under Direct Vision: A Novel Therapeutic Approach

A 57-year-old woman with a history of pulmonary atresia with ventricular septal defect and hypoplastic pulmonary arteries was referred for a fifth redo sternotomy for right ventricular outflow conduit replacement. Traditional pulmonary valve replacement was aborted during the procedure because of heavy calcification, and the pulmonary valve was replaced with a SAPIEN XT stent valve under direct vision. We believe this is the first application of a balloon-expandable stent valve in the pulmonary valve position under direct vision. It provides a novel therapeutic approach to recurrent pulmonary valve dysfunction in adult congenital heart diseases.