Percutaneous implantation of pulmonary valves.

Percutaneous implantation of valves is evolving as the most exciting innovation in transcatheter therapeutics. Valve repairs and replacements form an important indication of re-operations after congenital heart operations. Right ventricular outflow tract surgery is common after repair of conditions such as pulmonary atresia with Tetralogy of Fallot, common arterial trunk and Rastelli operation for transposition of great arteries, ventricular septal defect with pulmonary stenosis. Conduit survival is improving, nevertheless, re-operations are common. Although the re-operations can be performed at low risk, they still involve morbidity and mortality. Percutaneous implantation of valves is emerging as an alternative option for these group of patients. Our experience in percutaneous implantation of pulmonary valves has yielded encouraging results. For incompetence, the results are excellent. Evolving technology is making it applicable in wider clinical situations. Similar technology could also be applied to implantation of valves in the aortic position.