Midterm Results of ePTFE Trileaflet Dacron Graft Conduit for Reconstruction of Right Ventricular Outflow Tract in Children / 日本心臓血管外科学会雑誌

ABSTRACT

Reconstruction of the right ventriclar outflow tract (RVOT) in congenital heart disease often requires implantation of a valved conduit. A hand-made expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (ePTFE) trileaflet Dacron graft conduit has been used at our center since 1997, and has been implanted in 31 patients. Midterm results of this conduit were investigated in 30 of the patients who have been followed at our outpatient clinic. There were 16 males and 14 females. The mean age and body weight were 16.4±7.2 (range, 3.4-33.4) years and 41.7±13.3 (range, 13.0-64.0)kg, respectively. Diagnoses were tetralogy of Fallot with pulmonary atresia in 14 patients, RVOT reconstruction associated with Ross procedure in 8, transposition with pulmonary stenosis in 3, pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum in 2, tetralogy with absent pulmonary valve syndrome in 1, pulmonary regurgitation developed after tetralogy repair in 1, and hemitruncus in 1. The median size of the graft was 22 (range, 20-26)mm. All patients were in NYHA functional class I at the time of the latest follow-up. The pressure gradient across the conduit was 11.0±5.8mmHg during the same hospitalization and 13.8±6.5mmHg on the latest echocardiogram (Interval, 2.4±1.5 years, <i>p</i>=0.85). The valve function was well maintained in all patients, with the regurgitation graded as non-trivial in 22 patients, mild in 7, and moderate in only 1. Midterm results of hand-made ePTFE trileaflet valved cunduit was satisfactory. A longer follow-up is mandatory to assess its actual durability.