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OHSU fixes complex heart problems without open-heart surgery

Oregon Health & Science University is one of a few centers in the nation qualified to use the first FDA-approved pulmonary heart valve that can be implanted through the leg

Melody-thumbnailThe pediatric cardiac team at Oregon Health & Science University Doernbecher Children’s Hospital is the first in the region and one of a handful in the nation to implant a pulmonary heart valve without open-heart surgery.

To date, four patients have received the landmark valve in the OHSU Pediatric and Adult Congenital Cardiac Catheterization Lab. All reported immediate improvement in their energy level and stamina.

The device, called the Medtronic Melody® Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve, recently was approved by the Food and Drug Administration. The valve is used to replace a narrow or leaky pulmonary valve “conduit” — a tube connecting the heart to the lungs — in children and adults who previously have undergone surgery to correct a congenital heart defect. Until now, pulmonary valve replacements have required open-heart surgery.

 The complete OHSU media release is available online.

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