Bileaflet Polytetrafluoroethylene Conduits for Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Reconstruction in Small Children

Nearly all conduits used for right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) reconstruction require replacement because of stenosis or insufficiency, especially in infants and young children. Since the mid-1980s, cryopreserved homografts have been the conduit of choice in the United States for RVOT reconstruction. Since 2008, the authors’ institution has been using handmade bicuspid-valved polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) conduits using standard-stretch PTFE graft and 0.1 mm thick PTFE membrane for RVOT reconstruction. PTFE has the advantage of being a relatively cheap material, readily available, and biologically inert. This video shows the authors' technique for PTFE valved conduit construction.

Suggested Reading

Mercer CW, West SC, Sharma MS, Yoshida M, Morell VO. Polytetrafluoroethylene conduits versus homografts for right ventricular outflow tract reconstruction in infants and young children: an institutional experience. J Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. 2018;155(5):2082-2091.