Percutaneous pulmonary valve

Tetralogy of Fallot (ToF) and its surgical treatment frequently lead to dysfunction of the pulmonary valve. A common surgical approach to this is to implant a right ventricle to pulmonary artery valved conduit. Many conduits are available and their nature is important when considering a transcatheter valve. Pulmonary or aortic homografts (human donor valves) have been successfully used as a right ventricle to pulmonary artery conduit [1]. These conduits can fail causing progressive stenosis, or regurgitation, which can present at an early stage. Homografts are prone to calcification as well as endocarditis. Other conduits have been used including pericardial valves mounted in a prosthetic tube, such as a Hancock conduit (porcine) and a valved conduit of bovine jugular vein (Contegra). When a conduit is not needed some surgeons use stented bioprosthetic valves with pericardial leaflets to achieve a competent pulmonary valve [2].