Piggyback mounting for stent and valve deployment during percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation

We report our experience in simultaneously implanting multiple stents and valves mounted on a single balloon before and during transcatheter pulmonary valve placement.

Heterogeneity and complexity of the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) may complicate stent deployment when preparing a landing zone for transcatheter pulmonary valve implantation.

Retrospective analysis of patients from Children's Hospital of Colorado, USA; and Oslo University Hospital, Norway, undergoing transcatheter pulmonary valve replacement that had at least two stents mounted on a single balloon, deployed in the RVOT.

Over a 42-month period, a total of 50 subjects from the two centers met inclusion criteria for the study. Subjects were predominantly male (58%), and the median age was 17 years (4-78 years). In six subjects (12%), there was need for prestenting with use of the double or triple stent piggyback technique. Forty subjects (80%) had a Melody ™ TPV implanted. In 45 cases (90%), one or more stents were mounted over the pulmonary valve using its delivery system, either the Ensemble for the Melody™ TPV or the Edwards Commander for the SAPIEN 3 THV. Thirty-seven subjects (74%) had one stent mounted and eight subjects (16%) had two stents mounted over the pulmonary valve for simultaneous deployment. No complications related to this technique were reported.

The piggyback technique aims to simplify and facilitate adequate conduit preparation and valve insertion by minimizing manipulation across the outflow tract and decreasing the risk of stent distortion, misalignment, and embolization.