Current Experience with Percutaneous Pulmonary Valve Implantation

Transcatheter valve replacement has recently been introduced into clinical practice and has the potential to transform the management of valvular heart disease. To date, the largest human experience exists with percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation in patients with repaired congenital heart disease who require re-intervention to the right ventricular outflow tract. The application of this approach, however, is presently restricted to certain right ventricular outflow tract morphologies, because the device needs to be anchored safely to prevent device dislodgement. Early results of percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation show lower morbidity than surgery and significant early symptomatic improvement. In the future, the challenge will be to extend percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation to all patients with a clinical indication to delay or avoid repeat open-heart surgery.