title: Stenting of Native Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstructions in Symptomatic Infants.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To assess feasibility, safety and effectiveness of right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) stenting in symptomatic young infants.
  
  
  METHODS
  Multicentre evaluation of 35 patients intended to undergo RVOT stenting in 11 pediatric cardiac centres from 2009 to August 2011.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Median age and weight at the time of first stent implantation were 8 weeks and 3.3 kg, with 40% of patients <3 kg. A total of 19 patients had suffered from hypoxemic spells, 8 patients were ventilated, 6 on inotropic support and 5 on prostaglandin infusion. Severe concomitant malformations were present in 11 patients, and acute infections in 2. Stenting of the RVOT was successfully performed in 33 patients, improving oxygen saturation from a median of 77 to 90% 2 days after intervention. Besides the 2 patients in whom RVOT stenting was not successful for technical reasons, there were no procedural complications. In 17 of 33 patients, 1-3 reinterventions were performed during follow-up, less than half of those were reinterventions in the RVOT. A total of 27 patients have undergone successful surgical repair 4-162 (median 19.5) weeks after initial RVOT stent implantation, 2 patients are still waiting. There were no perioperative deaths.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Stenting of the RVOT provides a safe and effective management strategy for initial palliation in symptomatic young infants, including those patients not suitable or at higher risk for surgical therapy.
authors.affiliation: Medizinische Hochschule Hannover, Hannover, Germany.
authors.forename: Harald
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Bertram
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinik Köln, Köln, Germany.
authors.forename: Mathias
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Emmel
authors.affiliation: Deutsches Herzzentrum Berlin, Berlin, Germany.
authors.forename: Peter
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Ewert
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinik Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Jochen
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Grohmann
authors.affiliation: Herz- und Diabeteszentrum Bad Oeynhausen, Bad Oeynhausen, Germany.
authors.forename: Nikolaus A
authors.initials: NA
authors.lastname: Haas
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinik Giessen, Giessen, Germany.
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Jux
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinik Münster, Münster, Germany.
authors.forename: Hans Gerd
authors.initials: HG
authors.lastname: Kehl
authors.affiliation: Universitätsklinik Wien, Wien, Austria.
authors.forename: Erwin
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Kitzmüller
authors.affiliation: Kinderspital Zürich, Zürich, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Oliver
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Kretschmar
authors.affiliation: Universitäres Herzzentrum Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany.
authors.forename: Götz
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Müller
authors.affiliation: Deutsches Kinderherzzentrum St. Augustin, St. Augustin, Germany.
authors.forename: Walter
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Wiebe
mesh_terms: D006328:Cardiac Catheterization; D005240:Feasibility Studies; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D000860:Hypoxia / Q000209:etiology; D007223:Infant; D008297:Male; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D019233:Retreatment; D015607:Stents; D014694:Ventricular Outflow Obstruction / Q000151:congenital / Q000628:therapy*
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen