Use of the Viatorr expanded polytetrafluoroethylene-covered stent-graft for transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt creation in children: initial clinical experience.
Four children, three boys and one girl, with a median age of 9 years 8 months, underwent transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt creation with an expanded polytetrafluoroethylene (e-PTFE)-covered nitinol stent. The stent-graft was successfully placed in all four patients without any complication. Clinical and biochemical improvement was noted in all four patients during follow-up. Radiological follow-up with use of duplex ultrasound showed a recurrent stenosis of the shunt 180 days after stent-graft implantation in one patient. This was treated with placement of an additional stent-graft, re-expanding completely the recurrent stenosis. In the other three patients, the stent-graft remained fully patent until the end of the study or until orthotopic liver transplantation. These preliminary results suggest that use of the Viatorr ePTFE-covered stent-graft in children is safe and feasible, with potentially the same high patency rate and improved clinical outcome as reported in adult patients.
Mermuys
Koen
K
Department of Radiology, University Hospitals Leuven, Herestraat 49, B-3000 Leuven, Belgium.
Maleux
Geert
G
Heye
Sam
S
Lombaerts
Rita
R
Nevens
Frederik
F
D000293:Adolescent; D000497:Alloys; D000792:Angiography; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000628:therapy*; D008297:Male; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene; D019168:Portasystemic Shunt, Transjugular Intrahepatic / Q000295:instrumentation*; D012008:Recurrence; D015607:Stents
D000497:Alloys; C013616:nitinol; D011138:Polytetrafluoroethylene