Pulmonary Artery Repair With Covered Stents

The Covered Cheatham-Platinum Stent (CCPS) is being study for repair of tears that occur in the pulmonary artery during dilation (enlargement) of a conduit (passageway) connecting the right ventricle of the heart to the pulmonary arteries. Patients undergoing replacement of their pulmonary valve by transcatheter technique Melody Valve) are at risk of developing such tears in the process of preparing the conduit to accept the new valve. In order to implant such a valve, the connection between the right ventricle and the pulmonary arteries often needs to be enlarged. High pressure balloons may be needed and these balloons can sometimes cause tears in or even rupture of the connecting conduit. Such tears can allow blood to flow into the chest and rarely this can lead to a life-threatening emergency. Experience suggests that such tears can be closed by implanting into the conduit a metallic stent with an outer covering, rebuilding the wall and allowing continuation of the valve implant.