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Updated: Dec 28, 2025
Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Replacement from Autologous Pericardium with a Self-Expandable Nitinol Stent in an Adult Sheep Model
Published on: June 8, 2022
Right ventricular outflow tract prestenting with AndraStent XXL before percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation
Clement Karsenty1, Sophie Malekzadeh-Milani2, Alain Fraisse3
1CHU Toulouse, Pediatric and Congenital Cardiology, Children's Hospital, Université de Toulouse, 31300 Toulouse, France; Institut des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires, Université de Toulouse, INSERM U1048, I2MC, 1, Avenue Jean-Poulhès, BP 84225, Toulouse, France.
Background:
The indications for percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI) have been extended to include large dysfunctional right ventricular outflow tracts (RVOTs). Prestenting of the RVOT is commonly performed before PPVI in order to ensure a stable landing zone. The AndraStent XXL (AndraMed GmbH, Reutlingen, Germany), a cobalt-chromium stent with semi-open cell design, has unique mechanical properties in this indication but is no longer available in France.
Aims:
To assess the efficiency of AndraStent XXL before PPVI.
Methods:
In this retrospective multicentre cohort study, 86 AndraStents XXL were implanted in 77 patients in 6 centres.
Results:
PPVI was indicated mainly for pulmonary regurgitation (75.3%) in native or patched RVOT (88.3%). The stents were manually mounted on balloon catheters and delivered through sheaths using a conventional femoral approach. PPVI was performed successfully in 97.4% of patients after successful prestenting, generally during the same procedure (77.9%). There were no deaths associated with stent implantation, and four patients experienced five complications, mainly stent embolization, including one requiring surgery. Neither stent fracture nor dysfunction were observed in any patient during a mean follow-up of 19.2±8.7months. Stent analysis showed an excellent maximal stent expansion (97.1%) regardless of balloon size. A 22.3%±3.4 stent shortening with a 30mm balloon was observed.
Conclusions:
Implantation of large cobalt-chromium AndraStent XXL stents is efficient for prestenting before PPVI.
