Pulmonary Artery Repair With Covered Stents

Overview

The Covered Cheatham-Platinum Stent (CCPS) is being study for repair of tears that occur in the pulmonary artery during dilation (enlargement) of a conduit (passageway) connecting the right ventricle of the heart to the pulmonary arteries. Patients undergoing replacement of their pulmonary valve by transcatheter technique Melody Valve) are at risk of developing such tears in the process of preparing the conduit to accept the new valve. In order to implant such a valve, the connection between the right ventricle and the pulmonary arteries often needs to be enlarged. High pressure balloons may be needed and these balloons can sometimes cause tears in or even rupture of the connecting conduit. Such tears can allow blood to flow into the chest and rarely this can lead to a life-threatening emergency. Experience suggests that such tears can be closed by implanting into the conduit a metallic stent with an outer covering, rebuilding the wall and allowing continuation of the valve implant.

Recent clinical reports from multiple pediatric cardiology programs around the world indicate that the conduit can be repaired using such a stent. In the United States there are no commercially available, FDA approved, covered stents of the size required. The Covered Cheatham Platinum Stent (CCPS) manufactured by the NuMED Corporation of Hopkinton, New York has been used in Europe since 2003 and more recently in Canada. The CCPS device is not yet approved by the Food \& Drug Administration (FDA). However, it has been used at many hospitals in the U.S. to repair Right Ventricle to pulmonary artery conduits under Emergency and Compassionate Use circumstances. The NuMED Covered Cheatham-Platinum Stent (CCPS) is currently being studied for use in other areas of the body. The investigators are now studying its use in RV-PA conduits. The use of the Covered Cheatham Platinum Stent in this research study is investigational. Only patients found to have a conduit tear during a Melody Valve implant procedure will be eligible for inclusion into the trial. Implant technique is left to the catheterization physician. Clinical data obtained during the catheterization, before and after the CCPS implant will be studied in order to understand factors leading up to the tear and to evaluate how successful the CCPS is in repairing such defects. Melody valve implant patients are routinely seen for clinical and echocardiographic reevaluation 6 months after implant. Patients who have received a CCPS during their Melody valve procedure will likewise be seen. Results from their clinical evaluation will be reviewed to make sure that the presence of a CCPS does not diminish the effectiveness of the Melody valve. Finally, the catheterization angiograms and 6 month follow up echocardiograms will be reviewed by an independent expert to confirm the clinical readings.