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DOI: 10.1055/s-0038-1627958
The Labcor Stentless Valved Pulmonary Conduit for RVOT Reconstruction: A 7-Year Experience
Publication History
Publication Date:
22 January 2018 (online)
Objective: The Labcor stentless valved pulmonary conduit for RVOT reconstruction has been used due to decreased homograft availability in our department. This study gives first mid-term results for the Labcor conduit in congenital cardiac surgery.
Methods: From 02/2009 to 06/2017, Fifty-three patients underwent reconstruction of RVOT with the Labcor® valved pulmonary conduit. Diagnoses included: tetralogy of Fallot (TOF) (34.0%) pulmonary atresia (PA) plus TOF (11.3%), truncus arteriosus (24.5%), double outlet right ventricle (15.1%), aortic valve disease (11.3%), PA (3.8%), TGA/PA (7.5%) and absent pulmonary valve syndrome (3.8%). Apart from the conduit implantation, the surgery was depending on the other cardiac malformations. We evaluated intraoperative course, hospital length of stay and freedom from conduit failure defined as conduit stenosis, insufficiency or outgrowth.
Results: Mean age was 12.7 (0–55.5) years. Most of the patients had conduit implantations with LPA/RPA reconstructions only. Usually, beating heart surgery was performed (69.8%). 18 patients had combined procedures had (33.9%). The average conduit size was 20 (11–25) mm. There was no in-hospital death. The average length of stay was 12.4 (7–26) days. The average time of follow-up was 40.3 (3–89) months. 10 patients had a conduit failure. Out of these, eight patients had a conduit explantation, one patient had a Melody valve implantation into the conduit and one patient had the indication for conduit exchange, but has not proceeded to surgery yet. The patients with conduit failure were younger (8.9 vs. 13.6 years, p = 0.04) at Labcor implantation and their average conduit size was smaller (17.8 vs. 20.7mm, p = 0.03), but they had also conduit sizes between 11 and 25 mm.
Conclusion: Implantation of the Labcor conduit in pulmonary position can be performed with acceptable mid-term results. Nevertheless, degeneration of the valve and calcification of the conduit remain the limiting factors.