HOUSTON – (Sept. 7, 2010)
– 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.
The patient, Jessica Mireles, underwent a 4 and a half-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, also associate professor of
pediatrics-cardiology at Baylor College of Medicine. "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."
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About Texas Children's Hospital
Texas Children's Hospital is committed to a community of healthy
children by providing the finest pediatric patient care, education
and research. Renowned worldwide for its expertise and breakthrough
developments in clinical care and research, Texas Children's is
ranked in the top 10 best children's hospitals by U.S. News and
World Report. Texas Children's also operates the nation's largest
primary pediatric care network, with over 40 offices throughout the
greater Houston community. Texas Children's has embarked on a $1.5
billion expansion, Vision 2010, which includes a neurological
research institute, a comprehensive obstetrics facility focusing on
high risk births, and a community hospital in suburban West Houston.
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