What is a conduit in cardiac surgery?
Conduits are implanted between the right ventricle and pulmonary artery, left ventricle and pulmonary artery, right atrium and right ventricle, and left atrium to left ventricle. Several factors can influence longevity of valved conduits: young age at implantation, small size of homograft, and immunological response.
What is a conduit stent?
Conclusions— Conduit stenting is an effective interim treatment for RV-PA conduit obstruction and prolongs conduit lifespan in most patients. Stent fractures were common but not associated with significant complications or earlier conduit reoperation.
What is a pulmonary valve conduit?
Children and adults with pulmonary valve disease may have narrowed pulmonary valves and may need surgery for placement of a right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) pulmonary conduit or surgical valve. A pulmonary conduit is a tube that connects the heart to the lungs.
What is pulmonary homograft?
Pulmonary homografts consist of the muscle shelf, pulmonary valve, and proximal pulmonary artery harvested from a human cadaver. They are prepared fresh with antibiotic solution, or cryopreserved, and have proven useful in the reconstruction of both the right and left ventricular outflow tracts.
How long does a heart conduit last?
Many repair operations for congenital heart defects involve the replacement of valves and/or the insertion of conduits (basically tubes) to redirect blood flow. Most surgically implanted valves or conduits will last 10-20 years before they wear out, become obstructed, or lose efficiency.
What is a contegra valve?
Contegra is a glutaraldehyde-crosslinked, heterologous bovine jugular vein with a competent tri-leaflet venous valve. The device is available in 6 sizes in even increments between 12 and 22 mm inside diameter, measured at the inflow end.
What are the symptoms of pulmonary stenosis?
Pulmonary valve stenosis signs and symptoms may include:
- A whooshing sound (murmur) that can be heard with a stethoscope.
- Fatigue.
- Shortness of breath, especially during activity.
- Chest pain.
- Loss of consciousness (fainting)
How long does a homograft pulmonary valve last?
Homograft valves are expected to last about 15 to 20 years. Like bioprosthetic valves, homografts are not as durable in younger patients. The Ross procedure is usually performed on patients younger than ages 40 to 50 who want to avoid taking long-term anticoagulant medications after surgery.
What is the difference between an autograft and a homograft?
The autograft technique harvests the patient’s own pulmonary valve, which is then sewn into the aortic position, and a pulmonary homograft is sewn into the pulmonary position. Homograft technique prepares valves from human cadavers.