03/2022
We are pleased to inform that also this year clinical results of cell-free heart valves were reported very positively at the digital annual meeting of the DGTHG/DGPK. The lectures will be available as "video on demand" on the congress website in the next weeks:
DGPK/DGTHG: Current topics in EMA patients | A. Horke (Hannover): Decellularized Aortic and pulmonary grafts – Mid term results after more than 10 years experience. Dr. Horke reports on clinical experience with cell-free aortic and pulmonary valve replacement. With increasing observation time, the advantages of cell-free pulmonary valve replacement compared to conventional alternatives become apparent. Clinical results for cell-free aortic valve replacement, which has not been performed as frequently, are very promising.
DGTHG-V68 | P. Murin (Berlin) et al.: Decellularized fresh pulmonary homografts for pulmonary valve replacement in Ross patients: a promising solution for the double-valve problem in adolescents and young adults. Dr. Murin reports on ten patients with a median age of 14 ½ years who underwent cell-free pulmonary valve replacement as part of a Ross procedure (7 primary, 3 secondary). The technical feasibility of the procedure was excellent. The postoperative and early clinical course was inconspicuous. Wider application of this technique may become a promising solution to the double valve problem in this patient group.
DGTHG-V72 | S. Sarikouch (Hannover): 5-year results from the prospective European multicentre study on decellularized homografts for pulmonary valve replacement. Dr. Sarikouch reports a 5-year analysis of 121 patients (637 patient-years) with cell-free pulmonary valve replacement. Data from the prospective ESPOIR trial show statistically significantly better freedom from explantation or reintervention compared with conventional pulmonary valve replacement.