title: Off-pump pulmonary valve implantation of a valved stent with an anchoring mechanism.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The purpose of this study was to evaluate the longitudinal performance and anti-migration effect of a bovine valved stent equipped with an anchoring mechanism implanted off-pump in the pulmonary position.
  
  
  METHODS
  Through a delivery system, the bell-shaped pulmonary valved stents were implanted off-pump in the pulmonary valve position into six sheep by the transventricular approach. Hemodynamic, angiographic, and echocardiographic evaluations were carried out before, immediately after, and 2 months after implantation. Macroscopic and radiographic examination were performed for evaluation.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The valved stents were all successfully implanted off-pump in the pulmonary position on six sheep. Early and late angiographic, echocardiographic, hemodynamic, and macroscopic studies confirmed firm anchoring and good positions of the stents. All valved stents were potent, except one mild stenosis with a 24 mm Hg transvalvular pressure gradient that developed and one mild insufficiency that were discovered at the end of the study.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Transventricular implantation of the bell-shaped pulmonary valved stents was evaluated during a 2-month period in the sheep in the present study and showed a good structural and functional outcome with no migration.
authors.affiliation: Key Laboratory of the Cardiovascular Regenerative Medicine, Ministry of Health, Fu Wai Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences & Peking Union Medical College, Beijing, Peoples Republic of China.
authors.forename: Guo-Wei
authors.initials: GW
authors.lastname: Meng
authors.forename: Jian-Ye
authors.initials: JY
authors.lastname: Zhou
authors.forename: Yue
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Tang
authors.forename: Zan-Kai
authors.initials: ZK
authors.lastname: Ye
authors.forename: Yan
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Guang-Mao
authors.initials: GM
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Sheng-Shou
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Hu
mesh_terms: D000792:Angiography; D000818:Animals; D001705:Bioprosthesis; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002417:Cattle; D047549:Coronary Artery Bypass, Off-Pump; D006350:Heart Valve Prosthesis; D019918:Heart Valve Prosthesis Implantation / Q000379:methods*; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology; D023421:Models, Animal; D011336:Probability; D011474:Prosthesis Design; D011664:Pulmonary Valve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000601:surgery*; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012756:Sheep; D015607:Stents; D053441:Suture Anchors; D018084:Ultrasonography, Interventional