Belarus first in CIS implanted self-expandable pulmonary artery valve in body

For the first time in the CIS, the Republican Research and Practical Centre for Paediatric Surgery performed transcatheter implantation of a nitinol self-expandable pulmonary artery valve in patients who underwent stage-by-stage correction of such complex heart defects as Tetralogy of Fallot, double discharge of the main vessels, sb.by reports citing the press secretary of the Ministry of Health, Yulia Borodun

This group of patients develops pulmonary valve insufficiency in a certain percentage of cases, either due to the previous surgery on the right ventricle, or due to the natural course of the disease. Previously, such patients underwent open surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass, which was associated with a high risk of complications.

Since 2018, the centre has started transcatheter implantation of pulmonary artery valves by the puncture method. However, the use of previous valve models was limited due to the complexity of the implantation zone anatomy: large diameter and complex geometry. The applied South Korean-made valve is a nitinol self-expanding device, which allows its implantation at the complex geometry of the pulmonary artery and its pronounced dilatation. The use of this valve model significantly expands the patient population for this type of surgical correction.

“Unfortunately, in some heart defects, no matter how perfect the surgery is, there are still problems that need to be addressed over time. One of them is pulmonary valve insufficiency. As a rule, according to the structure of the defect, this anatomical zone often requires surgical correction during the neonatal period or later. Over time, valve insufficiency develops, and the valve must be replaced. Previously, this was done by performing a surgical procedure with cardiopulmonary bypass and sewing the valve in. The transcatheter implantation used since 2018 allows the pulmonary valve to be inserted and expanded through a small puncture. Immediately after expansion, it begins to fulfil its function,” the Head of the X-ray Surgery Department at the Republican Research and Practical Centre for Paediatric Surgery, Pavel Chernoglaz, noted.

“This is a wonderful technique, but there were limitations on the size range of devices, thus, it was not possible to help a sufficiently large number of patients. Belarus, as well as the rest of the world, was waiting for such self-expandable catheter valves, which, once in the warm environment of the body, begin to open up to the size intended by the design. These are South Korean-made biological valves, and now the novelty has been finally introduced in Belarus,” Pavel Chernoglaz underlined.