Aortic Root Distortion and Aortic Insufficiency During Balloon Angioplasty of the Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Prior to Transcatheter Pulmonary Valve Replacement

Objective To describe the significance of aortic root distortion (AD) and/or aortic valve insufficiency (AI) during balloon angioplasty of the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT) performed to rule out coronary artery compression prior to transcatheter pulmonary valve (TPV) implantation. Methods AD/AI was assessed by retrospective review of all procedural aortographies performed to evaluate coronary anatomy prior to TPV implantation. AD/AI was also reviewed in all pre‐post MPV implant echocardiograms to assess for progression. Results From 04/2007 to 3/2015, 118 pts underwent catheterization with intent for TPV implant. Mean age and weight were 24.5 ± 12 years and 64.3 ± 20 kg, respectively. Diagnoses were: TOF (53%), D‐TGA/DORV (18%), s/p Ross (15%), and Truncus (9%). Types of RV‐PA connections were: conduits (96), bioprosthetic valves (14), and other (7). Successful TPV implant occurred in 91 pts (77%). RVOT balloon angioplasty was performed in 43/118 pts (36%). Aortography was performed in 18/43 pts with AD/AI noted in 6/18 (33%); 2 with D‐TGA (1 s/p Lecompte, 1 s/p Rastelli), 2 with TOF, 1 Truncus and 1 s/p Ross. Procedure was aborted in the 2 who developed severe AD/AI. TPV was implanted in 3/4 patients with mild AD/AI. Review of pre‐post TPV implantation echocardiograms in 83/91 pts (91%) revealed no new/worsened AI in any patient. Conclusion AD/AI is relatively common on aortography during simultaneous RVOT balloon angioplasty. Lack of AI progression by echocardiography post‐TPV implant suggests these may be benign findings in most cases. However, AD/AI should be carefully evaluated in certain anatomic subtypes with close RVOT/aortic alignments. (J Interven Cardiol 2016;29:197–207)