Bileaflet Polytetrafluoroethylene Conduits for Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Reconstruction in Small Children [1]
Nearly all conduits used for right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) reconstruction require replacement because of stenosis or insufficiency, especially in infants and young children. Since the mid-1980s, cryopreserved homografts have been the conduit of choice in the United States for RVOT reconstruction. Since 2008, the authors’ institution has been using handmade bicuspid-valved polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) conduits using standard-stretch PTFE graft and 0.1 mm thick PTFE membrane for RVOT reconstruction. PTFE has the advantage of being a relatively cheap material, readily available, and biologically inert. This video shows the authors' technique for PTFE valved conduit construction.
Suggested Reading
- Mercer CW, West SC, Sharma MS, Yoshida M, Morell VO. Polytetrafluoroethylene conduits versus homografts for right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction in infants and young children: an institutional experience. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2018;155(5):2082-2091 [3].