Melody valve implantation within freestyle stentless porcine aortic heterograft

The Melody transcatheter pulmonary valve has been implanted successfully worldwide since its first implant in 2000. The vast majority of these valves have been implanted in pulmonary homografts. In our institution, the most common valve used for pulmonary valve replacement is the Medtronic Freestyle stentless porcine aortic heterograft.

We describe our experience implanting the Melody valve within the Freestyle heterograft.

Retrospective chart review was performed.

Between June 2012 and June 2015, 19 Melody valves were placed within Freestyle heterografts. The most common indication for intervention was pulmonary stenosis. Following pre-stent and Melody valve implantation, right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery gradient decreased from 38.1 ± 12.1 to 10 ± 4.7 mm Hg (P < 0.001), and right ventricular pressure decreased from 61.7 ± 17.8 to 35.6 ± 10.2 mm Hg (P < 0.001). Two procedural adverse events occurred. At median follow-up of 24 months (range 2-48 months), no patients had mean right ventricular outflow tract gradients >30 mm Hg or worse than mild insufficiency. No valve reinterventions have been necessary and no episodes of endocarditis have been observed.

The Melody valve can be implanted successfully within a stentless aortic bioprosthesis with good short- and intermediate-term longevity. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.