Objective: To assess the impact of a percutaneous technique for pulmonary valve implantation on the conventional surgical valve/conduit approach to right ventricular outflow tract re-intervention.
Methods: We have retrospectively reviewed our results following surgical or percutaneous re-intervention to the right ventricular outflow tract in both paediatric and adult groups. Between November 1998 and March 2004, 94 patients underwent surgical re-intervention to the right ventricular outflow tract. Percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation was introduced in October 2002 and 35 procedures were performed to March 2004. The median age was 26 years (6-65 years) in the surgical group and 16 years (9-39 years) in the percutaneous group. Tetralogy of Fallot was the commonest original diagnosis (64.9 and 62.9%, respectively). The predominant indication for re-intervention in the surgical group was pulmonary regurgitation (64.9%) compared to the percutaneous group in which it was homograft/conduit stenosis or a mixed lesion (68.6%).
Results: There has been one (1.1%) early death reported in the surgical series and none in the percutaneous group. In the surgical group 9 (9.6%) experienced a procedural complication whilst 3 (8.5%) of those undergoing a percutaneous valve experienced a significant procedural event necessitating urgent surgery. Important early morbidity was 8 (8.5%) in the surgical group and 2 (5.7%) in the percutaneous group. Freedom from re-operation at 1 year was 100% in the surgical group and 86.1% in the percutaneous group due to late restenosis. Median hospital stay in the surgical group was 7 (4-114) days and 2 (2-22) days in the percutaneous group.
Conclusions: Preliminary data suggests that percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation provides a promising additional and complementary approach to a successful surgical programme. Both approaches are safe with acceptable levels of morbidity and low mortality. With current technology the aneurysmal outflow tract remains a problem for the percutaneous approach. Follow-up remains too short, at present, to prove longevity of the percutaneous conduit.