The Melody valve has historically been used for pulmonary valve replacements; however it has been more recently used in the mitral and tricuspid positions. This multi-center, retrospective, observational study will review the durability of the Melody valve inserted into the mitral or tricuspid positions.
Patients who have undergone Melody valve insertion into either the mitral or tricuspid positions prior to December, 2014 will be eligible for the study. Basic de-identified patient demographics will be collected as well as select clinical data. Ventricular function and valvar function of the affected valve will be retrospectively reviewed both prior to surgery and following, as well as review of operative data. The investigators will also review the most recent follow up data and any subsequent re-interventions on the Melody valve. Data from all sites will be entered into an external REDCap database, using only de-identified data.
Prior to recent advancement in using the Melody valve for atrioventricular valve replacement, there have only been fixed diameter valve options for severe valve disease requiring replacement. This presents numerous obstacles for those pediatric patients who require replacement early in life, as the fixed diameter does not offer options for expansion for somatic growth, and early reoperation will be required.
The Melody valve has been approved for transcatheter implantation into the RVOT (right ventricular outflow tract), and has shown competence within a range of sizes. Recent studies conducted at Boston Children's Hospital of off-label use of the Melody valve into atrioventricular valve positions have shown acceptable short-term valve performance, and that subsequent catheter-based expansion is feasible.
