Use of self expanding stents in stenotic aortopulmonary shunts in adults with complex cyanotic heart disease

Objective-To describe the use of self expanding stents in treating long seg ment stenosis of aortopulmonary shunts (APS) in adults. Design-Clinical records, catheterisation data, cineangiograms, and operatio n notes of four consecutive patients undergoing stent implantation since De cember 1994 were studied retrospectively. Setting-A tertiary referral centre for cardiac disease. Subjects-Four patie nts underwent cardiac catheterisation because of clinical deterioration. Th eir age ranged between 23 and 32 years. The underlying diagnosis was comple x cyanotic heart disease in all. Three had a stenotic interposition graft, and one had a classic Blalock shunt. Results-There was one technical failure owing to migration of the stent dis tal to an ostial stenosis. The ability index, resting oxygen saturation, an d exercise tolerance improved in the remainder. Their medium term results h ave been excellent. Conclusions-This technique may further palliate adult patients with complex congenital heart disease, though the long term patency of stents is unknow n.