Unmodified Medtronic Melody valve.
Replacing defective heart valves with prostheses in newborns is a difficult business, which is compounded by the fact that the new valves need to grow along with the children’s hearts. Two surgeons at Boston Children’s Hospital were faced with infants, one with severe mitral regurgitation and one with mitral stenosis, who required their mitral valves replaced.
To solve the problem, the physicians modified Medtronic‘s Melody transcatheter valve, that’s normally indicated for replacement of the pulmonary valve. The valves will be made to expand as the kids grow via catheterization with balloon dilatation, hopefully reducing the need for further surgeries. The successful implants in the two infants have been reported in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery.
More from Children’s Vector Blog: New valves for babies that can grow with them
Case report in The Annals of Thoracic Surgery: Modification of a Stented Bovine Jugular Vein Conduit (Melody Valve) for Surgical Mitral Valve Replacement
Press release: Boston Children’s surgeons pilot expandable prosthetic valves for children with congenital heart disease
Flashbacks: Melody Transcatheter Artificial Valve Finally Gets Go Ahead in US; Melody Transcatheter Cardiac Valve Replacement Shows Good Results in Children; Medtronic’s Melody Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve on Track for Approval; Melody Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Still Being Tested in the US; The Melody Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve
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