Texas Children's Hospital implants FDA approved transcatheter pulmonary heart valve

Using a newly FDA approved pulmonary valve, Dr. Frank Ing, director of the catheterization laboratory at Texas Children's Hospital and his team of pediatric interventional cardiologists implanted a transcatheter pulmonary heart valve into the heart of a 13-year-old girl, which spared her from having her chest opened for a third heart surgery. http://bit.ly/JessicaCath.

The patient, Jessica Mireles, underwent a 4-1/2-hour cardiac interventional catheterization on Tuesday, August 24 to replace a worn-out pulmonary valve, which had been placed at the time of her first open heart surgery at 2-1/2 years of age. Jessica, born with multiple heart defects which required two open heart surgeries over the course of her life, was facing a third operation about the time that the Melody transcatheter pulmonary valve was approved for use in the United States. Believing that this new device would benefit Jessica, her cardiologist recommended that she be one of the first patients at Texas Children's to get the new valve.

The pulmonary valve, made from the jugular vein of a cow, was delivered through a straw-like catheter into a conduit between her right ventricle and pulmonary artery. The procedure required only a small incision in her leg. She is expected to leave the hospital after an overnight stay and return to normal activities within a week.

"It was immediately evident that the valve was working as it should," said Dr. Ing. "We could watch on the screen and see that the valve closed and opened as a normal valve should do. It was gratifying for my whole team to see that such a device could spare a young girl from having her chest and heart opened once again."

The minimally invasive valve is suited for school-age children, adolescents and teens who have been born with a malformed pulmonary valve – the valve between the heart and lungs. Usually these children have experienced one or more heart surgeries to repair or replace failed pulmonary valves due to normal body growth.

In a two-day period, Dr. Ing and his team implanted the valve into Jessica plus two other patients who also would have required open heart surgery. Cardiologists said all three patients experienced successful results and would require only an overnight stay at the hospital.

"We look forward to providing this treatment to other patients," said Dr. Ing.  We are always pleased when we can offer young people a non-surgical option for ongoing valve replacement, which is needed as they grow."