BACKGROUD: In general, congenital arterial lesions such as pulmonary coarctation, non-confluency, and major aortopulmonary collaterals associated with pulmonary atresia are prone to be remainig pulmonary branch stenosis and subsequent hypoplasia of unilateral pulmonary blood flow, after the first palliative SP shunt procedure To overcome such problem, we introduced “temporary stent” which include setnt implantation via the SP shunt to persistent unilateral stenotic pulmonary artery and perform next stage open heart surgery with removal of the stent and plasty of the vessel within three months.
AIMS: To evaluate the indication and effect of temporary stent to correct unbalanced pulmonary blood flow.
SUJECTS: Four cases of pulmonary atresia including 3 infants (cTGA/PA/VSD, DORV/PA, PA/VSD/MAPCA (Allagile syndrome)), and one eight-year-old child (PA/VSD/non-confluent PA/bilateral PDA)
METHODS: Relatively small stents (two Medtronic Drivers, one Genesis on Slalom, one Express LD) was deployed using 0.014” or 0.018” supportive wire through BT shunt or RV-PA conduit.
RESULTS: All the stents were precisely placed, and removed easily in the next stage operations (3 Rastelli, and one bidirectional Glenn).
DISCUSSION: In the condition that the stent was temporarily placed within 3 months until completely endothelialized, the lowest profiled assembly was applied via SP shunt of small children. Long-term evaluation is still warranted.