NYC-area 1st: Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital performs transcatheter pulmonary valve r...( NEW YORK (Aug. 21 2007) -- A breakt...),Health

NEW YORK (Aug. 21, 2007) -- A breakthrough new procedure may improve quality of life for children and adults with a common type of congenital heart defect that interferes with the body's ability to oxygenate blood through the lungs.

The minimally invasive procedure, which involves the implantation of the first-ever catheter-based pulmonary valve replacement, is currently performed by interventional cardiologists at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian and Columbia University Medical Center -- the only New York City site and one of only three sites nationally that is offering the procedure as part of an ongoing clinical research trial.

Currently, babies with absent or defective pulmonary valves may require open-heart surgery to implant a valved-conduit (a two-inch tube with a valve inside) to open the connection between their right ventricle and pulmonary artery. But because the conduit's lifespan is limited by deterioration and patient growth, traditionally the invasive surgery must be repeated several times as the patient grows older.

The new transcatheter pulmonary valve (TPV) is designed to extend the lifespan of the conduit by improving the natural function of the patient's heart. The goal is to reduce the need for multiple open-heart surgeries.

Dr. William Hellenbrand leads the study at Morgan Stanley Children's Hospital of NewYork-Presbyterian, where he is chief of pediatric cardiology and director of the Pediatric Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. He is also professor of clinical pediatrics at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

"This unique and innovative procedure allows us to replace the patient's heart valve by threading the device through a vein in their leg and into their heart. Previous research has shown that these patients can expect a reduced need for potentially risky open-heart surgery -- and therefore improved quality of life," Dr. Hellenbrand explains.
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