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AbstractIntroductionIn spite of tremendous progress in the medical and surgical treatment of children with congenital heart disease and dilated cardiomyopathy achieved during the past few decades, for some children a heart transplant remains the only option. Clinically relevant benefits of intracoronary injection of autologous stem cells on cardiac function and remodelling have been demonstrated in adult patients with acute myocardial infarction. Experience with autologous stem cell therapy in children with severe congenital or acquired pump failure is limited to a small number of case reports.Method and resultsBetween 2006 and 2010, nine severely ill children were treated with intracoronary infusion of autologous bone marrow-derived mononuclear cells as part of a compassionate therapy in our centre. No procedure-related unexpected adverse events occurred. There was one patient on extracorporeal membrane oxygenation who died of haemorrhage unrelated to the procedure; three patients proceeded to heart transplantation once a donor heart became available. The other five patients showed an improvement with respect to New York Heart Association classification (greater than or equal to 1), brain natriuretic peptide serum levels, and ejection fraction.ConclusionSimilar to adults, intracoronary injection of autologous bone marrow cell is technically feasible and safe for children. On the basis of our data, we propose to perform a pilot study for children with congestive heart failure, to formally assess the efficacy of intracoronary autologous bone marrow cell therapy.

AbstractObjectivesTranscatheter stent placement carries the risk of cardiovascular aneurysm or rupture. Covered stent implantation reduces these risks. The recently marketed Advanta V12 large-diameter-covered stent is pre-mounted and requires 9 (8)-11 Fr delivery systems. The aim was to report on the early results of the treatment of various cardiovascular obstructions by the implantation of a new polytetrafluoroethylene-covered stent (V12).MethodsGraft stents on balloons with a diameter (12, 14, 16 millimetres) sufficient to anchor the stent in various obstructions (congenital aortic coarctation, n = 5; obstruction after ascending aorta repair, n = 2; pulmonary arteries, n = 5; inferior caval vein, n = 1; atretic superior caval vein, n = 1; pulmonary vein obstruction, n = 1; and right ventricular outflow tract, n = 1) were implanted using the smallest available delivery system. Secondary dilation with larger-diameter balloons was performed when the residual pressure was gradient, the stent-vessel wall relationship or stent re-coiling due to different reasons needed a re-intervention by pure ballooning or second stent placement.ResultsAll 16 patients aged 5?46 years underwent V12 implantation. The variability of the treated lesions and the need for additional interventions were responsible for large ranges in fluoroscopy time between 7.3 to 48.2 minutes (median 17.3). Considering the additional procedures, the V12 stent achieved the desired result in all cases. There were no major complications. At short-term median follow-up of 2 months, all patients are alive and well with no evidence of stent failing.ConclusionThese initial results show that the covered Advanta V12 large-diameter stent is safe and effective in the immediate treatment of various cardiovascular obstructions. Long-term follow-up is required.

Devices used in interventional cardiology are permanent implants. However, most of the devices fulfill only a temporary function. For example, atrial septal defect (ASD) occluders serve as mechanical shields until complete in‐ and overgrowth of the occluding device by endogenous tissue from the defect edges has occurred. Thereafter, the foreign body material of the devices is no longer needed and bears potential long‐term adverse effects. The concept of “biodegradable” occluder devices that act as transient mechanical shields to close the defects and as scaffolds for overgrowth with autologous tissue is, therefore, tempting. Since rapid and complete ingrowth as well as coverage by firm tissue is a prerequisite for any such “biological” occluder devices, the feasibility and short‐term in vivo response to STARFlex devices preseeded with autologous cells was studied in an experimental sheep model. The experiments demonstrated that autologous cell preseeding of cardiovascular implants is technically feasible. Cells survived the mechanical stress of device implantation. A precoating of conventional STARFlex occluders led to an increased cellular density after cell seeding of the device, an increased resistance of the precultured cytolayer against mechanical stress, and a significantly higher poststress viability of “implanted” cells. Experimental closure of ASD using autologous‐cell preseeded STARFlex devices was uncomplicated. In the sheep model this led to rapid, complete, and firm ingrowth of the device into the adjacent atrial tissue. A thicker layer of young fibrous granulation tissue in organization was found on the preseeded devices compared with the unseeded control group after 4 weeks in vivo. Currently, an increased thrombogenicity limits in vivo application.

Hypoplastic left heart syndrome with dextrocardia and situs solitus is a very rare condition. We describe a 3.5-year-old male child with this constellation who underwent multistage repair and a successful extracardiac Fontan operation in our hospital.