Covered Stents in the Management of Aortic Coarctation and Right Ventricular Outflow Tract Obstruction

To review the use of covered stents in the treatment of coarctation of the aorta (CoA) and right ventricle to pulmonary artery (RV-PA) conduit obstruction.The only commercially available covered stent approved for treatment of CoA and dysfunctional RV-PA conduits is the covered Cheatham-Platinum stent (CCPS). Early outcomes have demonstrated its safety and have suggested its efficacy in treating or preventing aortic wall injury (AWI) or conduit disruption. A recent study of CCPS use for CoA reported a progressive risk of stent fracture over time and a risk of AWI despite the purported protection that the CCPS provides. The use of other covered stents has been reported, but large, systematic studies are lacking. CCPS use may reduce but does not eliminate the risk of conduit disruption or AWI. Structural limitations of the CCPS may predispose it to stent fracture. Access to a broad range of covered stents continues to be an unmet need in the field of congenital interventional cardiology.