Balloon-expandable stents for native coarctation of the aorta in children and adolescents.

Although balloon-expandable stent implantation for native aortic coarctation is a preferred method in the adolescent age group, there are insufficient data about indications for and the efficacy of the procedure in a younger age group. The aim of this study was to compare and evaluate the data of young pediatric and adolescent patients who underwent balloon-expandable stent implantation because of native aortic coarctation. The retrospective analysis included the demographic characteristics and data related to the procedure and follow-up of patients who underwent stent implantation for native aortic coarctation between August 2010 and November 2017.

Implantation of the Edwards SAPIEN XT and SAPIEN 3 valves for pulmonary position in enlarged native right ventricular outflow tract.

Objective: Percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation (PPVI) into right ventricle-to-pulmonary artery conduits is increasingly being performed, but a few options are available for patients with a dilated native right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT), among which is the off-label use of Ed-wards SAPIEN® valves. This study reviews the results of the SAPIEN XT and SAPIEN 3 (S3) valve implantations in the pulmonary position in patients with a dilated native RVOT.

Methods: Between January 2015 and March 2020, PPVI procedures were performed on 129 patients.

Is it possible to reduce radiation exposure during transcatheter atrial septal defect closure in children?

Objective: Cardiac catheterization continues to be a major source of radiation exposure for patients with congenital heart disease. As children are more prone to both deterministic and stochastic effects of radiation, every effort should be made to reduce radiation exposure. One way to reduce the radiation dose is to lower the pulse fluoroscopy rate.