SIZE-REDUCED CRYOPRESERVED PULMONARY VALVE ALLOGRAFT FOR AN RV-PA CONDUIT - TECHNICAL MODIFICATION AND FUNCTIONAL-EVALUATION

Cryopreserved pulmonary allografts harvested from adults at the time o f kidney donation were size reduced and used in two children with pulm onary atresia and ventricular septal defect. A technical modification for the creation of size-reduced pulmonary allograft conduits is descr ibed. Postoperative ultrasonic and cineangiographic assessments reveal ed excellent function of the pulmonary bicuspid valved conduit with a minimal pressure gradient and essentially no regurgitation. Although t he long-term fate of cryopreserved bicuspid pulmonary valve and condui t is unknown, this conduit provides excellent handling characteristics that render allograft conduits preferable to synthetic conduits. In a ddition, the remodeled biscuspid pulmonary allograft conduits have exh ibited excellent hemodynamic characteristics and are a reasonable alte rnative to other types of conduits when an appropriate size allograft is not available.